Love Tumbles Down
by Chellepo1977
Summary: Sometimes it takes meeting the right one to show you that you've been settling for the wrong one...It's definitely a Rom-Com with a little drama and angst. Richonne AU no zombies. This is my first fan fic so feedback is welcome! Characters belong to AMC and The Walking Dead; story belongs to me.
1. Chapter 1 - The Meet Cute

Chapter One

He never saw her coming until it was too late. There was nothing either of them could've done to prevent what was about to happen so instead of trying to maneuver out of each other's way, they both braced for impact. The collision came, sending them both stumbling around until they collapsed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, books and scalding hot lattes. As he sat on the floor, a little dazed and in a significant amount of pain, he couldn't hold back the expletive that spilled from his lips.

"Fuck!" Ignoring the bolts of fire shooting up his leg from his ankle, he looked up and was greeted with a pair of deep brown eyes that he probably would've found enchanting under different circumstances. When he widened his view he saw that those eyes were only one of the mesmerizing things about the face he was currently staring into. Her dark skin practically glowed making it seem like she was illuminated from within. Her dreadlocks were a rich brown with golden ends reminding him of the colors of fall and they fell across her face as she crawled toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked, a look of genuine concern marring her beautiful face. He stared at her wordlessly for a moment trying to take in everything that had just happened. He was sprawled out on the floor of Barnes and Noble with a gorgeous woman who smelled like vanilla leaning over him and quickly making him forget that he was late meeting his girlfriend for lunch. Thoughts of her beauty were quickly replaced with annoyance as another sharp lightning bolt of pain traveled along the nerves of his foot.

"What is wrong with you? Were you even trying to watch where you're walking?" He didn't mean to sound like a royal jerk, but from the way she flinched as he spoke he knew he'd crossed into asshole territory but she shook it off quickly and gave him a regretful smile.

"I'm sorry! A little voice inside my head told me it was a bad idea to walk and text while carrying a caramel mocha. Obviously, I didn't listen. Here, let me help you up."

"That's not necessary. I'm fine..." Ignoring the hand she'd extended to help him, he made it to his feet and his quick assessment of his injury seemed accurate until he tried to take a step and immediately went crashing back to the floor grabbing his ankle in pain. "Sonofabitch!"

"I'll call 911…"

"No! I don't need an ambulance!" She kneeled down next to him and lifted his pant leg. "What are you doing?" Frowning, she whistled through her teeth when she saw his ankle and even he had to admit it looked bad. It had morphed into some kind of purplish blue softball in record time and he groaned in a mix of pain and frustration.

"You definitely need to have a doctor look at that. It could be broken." He groaned and rubbed his hand across his forehead.

"It's not broken…it's just sprained…badly."

"Look, if you don't want an ambulance at least let me drive you to the hospital."

"You don't have to do that…"

"Yes I do." She insisted, helping him to his feet. "I'll feel terrible if I don't and this is completely my fault." She made him drape his arm over her shoulders and he leaned his weight against her. They slowly made their way through the bookstore past the staring masses and out to her car.

"Thanks."

"No problem! By the way, I'm Michonne Bishop. Your lawyer will need my name for the personal injury lawsuit you're planning."

"I'm Rick Grimes and I am a lawyer, so..." She shook her head and laughed under her breath.

"Of course you are!"


	2. Chapter 2 - Hurricane Michonne

Michonne had a reputation for being a klutz but only a few of her "incidents" as she liked to call them, ended with a trip to the ER. That said, her best friend Glenn liked to call her "Hurricane Michonne" because she had a knack for leaving a wide swath of destruction all around her. She heard the man sitting next to her wince in pain as he shifted in his chair.

She was the reason he was holding an ice pack on his ankle and she owed it to him to stick around. She hadn't exactly planned to spend her day sitting in the emergency room with a stranger who hated her but it was what needed to be done. She was supposed to be shopping for a dress to wear to her parents 35th wedding anniversary party with her two sisters in law. Escaping from that certain torture was just about the only perk of this entire situation.

With all the drama of the accident, the ride to the hospital, and the hour wait, she hadn't even taken the time to notice how good looking her latest victim was. That was a lie. She'd noticed that right off the bat. This guy wasn't just good looking, he was hot.

It was truly a shame the expensive designer suit he wore was now stained with coffee and probably ruined because it fit him like it was made for him. He was tall, lean, and his well defined pecs teased her from under his crisp coffee stained white shirt.

When he wasn't scowling at her, he had a face that should've been on the cover of magazines. He'd obviously shaved that morning but a light dusting of greying hair was starting to appear on his cheeks. She caught herself staring at his full lips every time he opened his mouth to speak to her; which wasn't often because his cell kept beeping for his attention every few minutes.

His hair was dark with a hint of grey matching his face, and it curled up a little at his collar inviting fingers to run through it. And his voice. It was rough, deep and for how refined he looked and dressed, he had a southern accent that she could listen to all day.

But all of that didn't come close to rivaling her favorite feature. His eyes were so blue; reminding her of the color of the sky on a perfect day. She'd always had a weakness for pretty blue eyes and his were practically deadly.

Under different circumstances, spending hours with this man would've been a dream. Instead she was sitting in an uncomfortable hard plastic chair listening to a musak version of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". She groaned and shifted her position in the chair.

"You know the world is about to end when they start making musak versions of songs like this one", she mumbled.

"When they start making musak versions of songs like this one, it means the world has already ended." She looked up at him and was dazzled by the first real smile he'd shown her all day.

This guy wasn't just hot. He was smoking hot.

She shook her head slightly and smiled back.

"If that's true, this must be Hell...with fluorescent lighting." She heard him laugh but it was cut off by a wince. She glanced over and saw that his eyes were closed and his lips were firmly set in a grim line. "Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened..." He shook his head and there was a pause before he opened his eyes and looked at her with a grin.

"Stop. You've already apologized about 900 times and if I have to hear it again I'm going to feel even worse for acting like a total ass all day."

"You weren't a total ass. Maybe more like three-quarters of an ass." He stared at her for a full minute before breaking into a wide smile and laughing.

"I'm sorry for that. I was in the middle of a very bad morning and this...just capped it." His phone buzzed in his hand and after looking at screen he hurriedly tapped out a response before turning back to her with an irritated look on his face.

"Is the person blowing up your phone the other cause of your horrible, no good, very bad, day? My klutziness has to be the main reason." He laughed and shrugged.

"No...it's my girlfriend." She felt her smile dim slightly at that. Even though her mind had been telling her there was no way this man was unattached, it was still a little painful to hear. "I was supposed to meet her for lunch but I'm not going to make it...obviously."

"Is she going to meet you here? I'm not a doctor but I'm sure you shouldn't drive on that ankle today."

"Yeah, she should be here soon so you don't have to wait with me...and I'm sure you have better things to do today."

"No, I'm responsible for this and I'm going to wait with you until you're seen or until your girlfriend shows up. Whichever comes first." She smiled as he shook his head in amusement. "And...you might be saving me from an afternoon of shopping with my sisters-in-law. Sitting here is definitely better than pretending to like the frou-frou things they like." He chuckled to himself and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is that right? Sounds like I'm being used here." If he hadn't just said he had a girlfriend, Michonne would've sworn he was flirting with her. She didn't want to admit it, but she really wanted him to be flirting with her. She shook those thoughts away and shifted in her seat.

"Maybe just a little bit. But hey, we might use this opportunity to actually have a conversation."

"Okay. What do want to talk about?"

"You said you're a lawyer..." He rolled his eyes and exhaled deeply.

"I'm a corporate attorney with Burke, Leigh, and Pollard. It's not nearly as boring as it sounds...actually, it is. What about you?"

"I'm an architect. I used to be at tvsdesign but I decided to start my own firm a few months ago. We're not quite off the ground yet, but almost."

"That has to be hard work...starting a firm all by yourself." She saw a hint of admiration in his eyes and she felt herself blush.

"It's not just me. My friend Glenn is a civil engineer and he's on board...after about six months of pleading. I think he got tired of hearing my mouth! We've been friends since high school." He grinned widely and nudged her arm.

"So you know all the right buttons to push, huh?"

"A little bit." They sat there smiling stupidly at each other until the sound of his phone pulled them out of the moment. In a way she was glad. That alert reminded her that he was definitely not on the market. His eyes left her to look at his phone. "Your girlfriend?"

"Yeah…she just pulled into the parking garage."

"I guess that means I can go now."

"You really didn't have to stay…but thank you."

"It was the least I could do…considering." She gathered her belongings and rose to her feet. "It was nice meeting you Rick Grimes." He looked up at her with a wide smile and mirth dancing behind his eyes.

"Michonne Bishop, the pleasure was all mine." She couldn't help but laugh out loud at that.

"Rick, if a sprained ankle and a first degree burn is your idea of pleasure, you've got issues." His lips curved into a half grin as he slowly nodded.

"You might be right! Either way, it was nice meeting you...despite the circumstances."

"You too. Again, I'm really sorry and I hope your ankle is better soon."

"I told you to stop apologizing. I'm fine! Now get out of here. I'm sure your sisters-in-law are missing you right about now." She laughed and started backing away from where he sat causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Watch where you're going! I'd hate for some other guy to end up in a hospital today!"

She shook her head and smiled as she spun around and continued down the hallway.

"We wouldn't want that. One victim is enough for today. Bye, Rick."

"Bye Michonne." She turned toward the elevators and smiled to herself as she pressed the call button. The doors slid open a few moments later and a leggy brunette moved past her headed toward the waiting room. Michonne took in everything from her perfectly waved and highlighted hair, to her beautiful porcelain skin, and finally her obviously designer ensemble and deduced that she was the girlfriend. Her smile fell as she stepped into the elevator with a resigned sigh reminding herself that it was probably a good thing that she'd never see him again.


	3. Chapter 3 - Manic Monday

**AN: Thank you for reading my story and thank you for the reviews! You all are too sweet! I'v been writing for a very long time but this is the first time I've shared anything with the public. Thank you for boosting my confidence! Here's Chapter Three...**

 **Chapter Three - Manic Monday**

It was Monday morning and Rick stood stiffly in the elevator as it rose to the 37th floor. His ankle was still throbbing; and after a weekend of Lori being irritated that he couldn't play golf with her father on Saturday or go with her on an antiquing hunt on Sunday, he was ready to be back at work.

The elevator doors slid open and he limped out of the elevator toward his office. Rick was hopeful he could make it before he ran into Shane because he knew his friend would have something to say about his obvious limp.

He and Shane were friends in high school, they'd gone to different colleges and law schools, but somehow they'd both ended up working at the same firm. Shane practiced criminal law and relished the big paydays from rich defendants while Rick slaved away on the corporate side of things. While Shane was boisterous and a little rough around the edges, Rick was more thoughtful and reserved. They were so different but somehow their friendship worked for them.

He'd almost made it to his office when Shane rounded the corner.

"What the hell happened to you? You and Lori get a little adventurous over the weekend?" Rick rolled his eyes at his friend's innuendo and continued into his office.

"Shut up, Shane." He heard Shane laugh as he eased into his desk chair. Shane followed him into his office and flopped into the chair across from Rick's desk.

"That's right! Lori ain't got an adventurous bone in her body."

"Shane…" Ignoring him, Shane grinned and kept talking.

"So if it isn't a sex injury, what happened?"

"I fell...well...it was more like I was run over." Shane's eyes widened and the smile faded from his lips.

"You got hit by a car?" Rick shook his head and logged in to his computer.

"No…a woman. She bumped into me in Barnes and Noble yesterday and we both went down. I think I got the worst of it though."

"You ok, man?"

"Yeah, it's just a sprain. I'm good." There were dozens of emails in his inbox and it gave him a headache to even think about sorting through them all. He kinda hoped Shane would see he was busy and leave, but he accepted that he should've known better when Shane kicked his feet up on the edge of his desk.

"Good because you know we're supposed to take Lori and Andrea to Tybee Island this weekend and my wife will be extra disappointed if y'all don't make it." Rick and Lori had dated for almost 3 years and Andrea had been her best friend since they were kids. It had almost seemed like kismet when his best friend fell hard for Lori's best friend. They were married less than a year after they met. At the time, Rick thought it was perfect. He'd never have to worry about Lori being upset about him hanging out with Shane because she'd be able to hang out with Andrea. It wasn't until later when he realized that unless she was the center of attention, Lori was going to find a reason to complain.

"Why? I figured she'd love to have you and the cottage all to herself."

"It might be because it's you and Lori's anniversary and a little bird told her you might propose." Rick's fingers froze over the keyboard.

"What? Lori thinks I'm going to propose to her this weekend?"

"According to Andrea, it's pretty much a given. I told her that if my boy was going to propose, I'd know about that shit. She ain't buying it. She says I'm just covering for you." Rick slowly shook his head. Andrea and Lori were thick as thieves and if Andrea thought he was proposing to Lori, it was definitely because Lori expressed that idea to her.

"I'm not proposing to Lori this weekend." Shane raised an eyebrow and ran a hand over his low cropped dark hair.

"I don't know who's going to be more disappointed. Lori or Andrea."

"It's going to be a long weekend if Lori's waiting for me to drop to one knee."

"You're gonna have a long year if you don't wife her up soon. You're in the fifth year of the five year plan." An irritated sigh escaped Rick's lips and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on.

"I know. She reminds me almost daily."

"And you ain't taking the hint?!"

"I'm not going to get married just to keep her plan on schedule! We should do it because we're ready for that step."

"You've been together for almost five years and you're still not ready?"

"I don't want to get into this with you right now."

"Fine! So what did you get her for y'alls anniversary?"

"The extravagant Tybee Island beachfront cottage rental…and a nice pair of earrings…" His buddy burst into a fit of laughter.

"I hope I'm around when you give it to her! You're going to hand her a little black box and when she sees earrings, she's gonna flip out! You're going to be in the doghouse for a while!" He was laughing so hard he could barely get the words out.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing..."

"It's not amusing! It's fucking hilarious!" At that moment, Rick's desk phone rang, and Rick silently thanked whoever was calling for saving him from that conversation. As if the ringing phone was his cue, Shane got to his feet.

"Lunch today?"

"Sure", he shrugged, as Shane moved towards the door.

"Don't look so bummed. Lori can't stay mad forever. Or you could just give her what she wants..."

"Goodbye, Shane." He picked up the phone and brought it to his ear. "Rick Grimes."

"Umm...hi Rick. It's Michonne." The soft lilt of her voice stunned him into silence. He straightened in his chair like she could somehow see him but failed to speak before she continued. " You know...Michonne Bishop...AKA the klutz who took you down Friday…" He cleared his throat and answered her.

"Yeah, I remember. Hi."

"How are you? How's the ankle?" He smiled to himself and leaned back in his chair.

"It's good. Just a sprain like we thought. I'll be fine in a few days." He heard her chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Good!" There was a brief silence but it strangely didn't feel awkward. That line from Pulp Fiction ran through Rick's mind, _"That's when you know you've found somebody really special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably share silence."_ He shook that thought away and decided to keep the conversation moving.

"So to what do I owe this call?"

"Well…I wanted to check on you and…you left your tie in my car."

"I did?"

"Yeah. I guess when you took it off, it slipped between my seats. I wanted to get it back to you but we didn't exchange numbers. Then, I remembered the firm you said you worked for and called the switchboard. I can bring it by your office…I'm meeting a client near there at 2…"

"Can you meet me for lunch?" There was a long pause, giving Rick enough time to ask himself what the hell he was doing inviting a woman out to lunch. He was just about to let the voice inside his head win and rescind the invitation when she finally spoke.

"Lunch?" He heard the apprehensiveness in her voice and it spurred him to keep going.

"Yeah…I have a meeting in fifteen minutes but I should be free by 12:30. There's a great Thai restaurant near my office. I order from there at least twice a week."

"I've never had Thai…" The apprehensiveness he heard was morphing into curiosity and he smiled to himself.

"That is a tragedy that must be rectified. The restaurant is called Tuk Tuk and it's on Peachtree…"

"Rick, I don't think…" She cut him off and he could almost see her shaking her head.

"Come on, give me an opportunity to make up for being such a jerk yesterday." He knew appealing to her guilt from the "incident" was playing dirty, but in that moment, he didn't care.

"Ok…"

"Great! I'll meet you there at 12:30?"

"Sure, see you there."

"Yeah. See you there." He ended the call and immediately dialed Shane's office.

"Miss me already?"

"Something came up and I can't do lunch today. Looks like I'll be out of the office till about 2."

"Ok man. Holler at me when you get back."

"I will." Hanging up the phone, he took a minute and stared at his computer screen as the gravity of what he just did settled in on him. He'd just set up what was effectively a date with a woman who wasn't his girlfriend. A woman who was very beautiful and had somehow captivated him from the moment he saw her crawling toward him on the floor of Barnes and Noble. He'd never do anything to act on his feelings. He just wasn't that kind of guy. He just wanted to get to know her. Maybe they could be friends? He closed his eyes and sighed.

 _"Rick Grimes…What the hell are you doing?"_

 **Yeah, what the hell is Rick doing? Chapter Four coming soon! Not quite as soon because of my day job but as soon as I can. If we get a few snow days like they're forecasting, it could be sooner! Keep the reviews coming! :)**


	4. Chapter 4 - Pre-Lunch Conversation

**AN: To my reviewers, thank you so much!! I LIVE for your feedback!**

 **This story is a slow burn because neither of them are them type to cheat or be with someone who is cheating. We'll get there though, I promise! :) As for Lori, we'll get to see a few things happen in upcoming chapters that will feed the petty lol I'm writing Michonne kinda like the glimpse of the side of her we saw in Say Yes. She was just so cute! And I too like the friendship between Rick and Shane minus the betrayal. That's why he is Rick's bestie in this story.**

 **The snow came but so did a cold and I've been feeling kinda blah. I'm not as far along as I hoped to be but here is Chapter 4. This is a filler and it doesn't process the overall story too much but we do get to meet Glenn and I love writing the friendship between him and Michonne! Fingers crossed I can get through Chapter Five (lunch...finally!) before the end of the weekend.**

Chapter Four - Pre-Lunch Conversation

Michonne hit the end button on her cell phone and dropped her head into her hands on her desk.

"What is wrong with me?", she mumbled to herself. She should've said no when he invited her to lunch. She knew nothing good would come of sharing a meal with a man who was attached to someone else but she was still inexplicably attracted to. Actually, she was on the verge of telling him no when that deep southern accent of his weakened her defenses.

"Problem?" She lifted her head so that her chin was resting on her hands and looked across the office to where Glenn was typing away on his laptop.

"Why can't I say no?" He chuckled to himself and continued what he was doing. They'd been best friends since the day they met in their intro to drawing and design class back in ninth grade. They were both the new kids at Northview High; her family moving to Johns Creek from the Grove Park area after her father was promoted to Electrical Engineering Manager for Georgia Power, and Glenn's parents moved there from up north and opened the first New York style pizzeria in Johns Creek. Their bond was nearly instantaneous and it persevered through high school and colleges thousands of miles apart. She had gone to Cornell to study Architecture with a full athletic scholarship for fencing and he had decided to go to Georgia Tech for engineering.

"Gimme a break, Michonne! You are a badass and saying no has never been your problem." She stood up and walked over to sit on the edge of his desk.

"Then why did I just agree to have lunch with Rick?" He frowned and looked up at her, releasing a giant sigh as he took his glasses off.

"Who's Rick?"

"I told you, remember? The guy I nearly crippled on Friday…" Glenn couldn't hold back the smirk that appeared on his lips.

"Oh…didn't you say he had a girlfriend or something?" She slowly nodded and dropped her face into her hands.

"Exactly! So why did I just agree to eat Thai with him? I don't know if I even like Thai!" She uncovered her face to find that Glenn had leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on his desk. She knew that posture well. It meant that this conversation was about to go a lot deeper and usually in a way designed to make her see the error of her ways.

"Wait a minute…the guy you assaulted on Friday, who you are attracted to but has a girlfriend, asked you out to lunch and you said yes?" She rolled her eyes and defensively folded her arms across her chest.

"First of all…I did not assault him. It was an accident." His laughter rang through the office like he'd just been told the funniest joke ever.

"You were texting and carrying coffee! It was assault considering your track record!"

"Glenn!" She gasped, lightly slapping his arm. Glenn narrowed his eyes and leaned further back in his chair.

"Why are you even talking to him?", he questioned.

"I found his tie in my car so I called him to return it…" with her answer, he swung his feet off his desk, returning them to the floor with a thud.

"You called him to return his tie?" She was confused by the hint of disbelief in his voice.

"I figured he'd want it back!" Shaking his head, Glenn grabbed the Darth Vader mug she'd gotten him way back when they were in high school and walked over to the coffee station.

"It's a tie! He probably has dozens of them!"

"Are you saying I wanted to talk to him so I called under the guise of returning his tie?" He finished up making his coffee and looked at her with a sardonic grin.

"Not at all. I'm saying if you wanted to say no to Thai, you would have." Refusing to accept his assessment of the situation, Michonne stood up and walked back over to her desk, but deep down she knew he was right. When she'd found his tie wedged between the passenger seat and the center console of her car, she felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement all because she would get to see him again. She couldn't explain it. He had a girlfriend and Michonne was not going to do anything to complicate his relationship. It was just that he intrigued her. More than any man had in a very long time and she felt like that had to mean something.

"What am I going to do? I can't cancel. He said he was in meetings right up to 12:30 and I don't have his cell." She sighed resignedly and started shuffling papers across her desk. It was Glenn's turn to come over and sit on on her desk and he waited for her to look up at him before speaking.

"What are you so worried about? You've had like 2 conversations with him. You might find out he's a dumbass over lunch and problem solved."

"But what if he's not a dumbass?" That was the question. What if she ended up liking him more after this lunch? She shut down that train of thought because it only led to things she didn't want to deal with. Glenn shrugged before taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"So don't show." Admittedly, that it sounded like a simple resolution except for the fact that she would feel guilty and still be left with his tie.

"That would be really shitty." Glenn placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Ok…then I guess you're going to find out if you like Thai today." He stood and made his way back over to his desk leaving her to stew in her thoughts for a bit. When the idea come, it hit her out of nowhere.

"Hey…we have that meeting near the restaurant at 2…", she began, hoping that she didn't sound as desperate as she thought she did. He immediately began shaking his head.

"Uh uh…I know what you're going to say…" She didn't give him a chance to finish his thought.

"All you have to do is show up at the restaurant around 12:45. If you join us, it's not so much like a date and everything will be cool and we'll go our separate ways afterwards."

"Michonne…" She heard the reluctance in his voice but she decided to use the last trick she had in her book.

"Please Glenn! Remember that time sophomore year when you were crushing hard on Karen and even though I couldn't stand her, I invited her to my birthday party so you could talk to her?"

"It didn't work. She was too busy flirting with Tyreese all night…"

"Still! I did that for you! You still owe me one!" Glenn released a deep sigh.

"Fine! You're lucky I like Thai! If it was Indian, you'd be out of luck." A huge smile stretched across her face as she jumped out of her chair and practically ran over to throw her arms around Glenn.

"Oh my god, thank you Glenn! You are the best friend and business partner a girl could ask for!"

"Yeah, yeah...so the meeting at 2…" She let go of him and went back over to her computer.

"I have everything ready to go for that. The sketches and the proposal are on my tablet. Can you believe it? We may be designing a new wing of the CDC!" Glenn nodded in agreement.

"It's crazy! I think Sasha is the one we should be thanking though. If she hadn't pushed her bosses to give us a chance…" Glenn and Sasha had met a Georgia Tech and now she was working as a Facilities Engineer for the CDC. When Glenn had first started talking to her about Sasha, she had been unreasonably worried about Sasha somehow replacing her as Glenn's best friend. Then, she came home for winter break and met the bubbly, brilliant, spitfire and immediately liked her just as much as Glenn did. The three of them became very close and when Sasha met and fell in love with Abraham, the burly ex-army ranger become firefighter rounded them out to a foursome.

"Yeah, we should take her and Abraham out to dinner. She may be the reason Bishop Rhee finally crosses into the black!"

"Agree, but maybe we should wait until we actually cross into the black because right now, the way the business bank accounts are set up, we might be able to take them out for pizza."

"l know we're stretched pretty thin right now, but it's all going to work out. Even if we don't get the CDC thing, we just got a few home remodels and that vacation home build...the word is finally getting out about us. Soon, we'll have more work than we can handle!"

"Michonne…"

"And...if Atlanta wins the Amazon Headquarters lottery, we'll get a whole new client base! It's going to work, Glenn…"

"I know that. I wouldn't have quit my job and gambled my life savings on this if I didn't believe in us. All I'm saying, is that we need to curb some of our expenses until we land the dream account. While your optimism is powerful, it can't keep the lights on in here."

"I get it. I just want this to be successful so much..."

"And it will be. We just have to be careful right now."

"Ok…" She turned her attention back to her computer screen and tried to push the nervous energy about her lunch with Rick to the background. Glenn's voice broke the silence.

"You said that Rick guy is a corporate attorney, right?" She wrinkled her eyebrows and shrugged.

"Yeah?" Glenn looked up at her over the rim of his glasses and gave her a smirk.

"Maybe this lunch isn't such a bad idea. We could use some free legal advice."


	5. Chapter 5 - It's Just Lunch, Right?

**Chapter Five - It's Just Lunch…Right?**

 **Rick** glanced at his watch for what felt like the tenth time in five minutes. It was only 12:25. His meeting had ended late and he'd rushed to Tuk Tuk as fast as his sprained ankle would allow. He stood in the restaurant's foyer, near the hostess stand waiting for her to arrive. He self-consciously adjusted his navy blue suit jacket, straightened his tie, and ran a hand through his hair. He'd been slightly distracted all morning thinking about this lunch and feeling a variety of emotions about it. Excitement about getting to see Michonne again and guilt about being excited about seeing Michonne again.

He looked up just in time to see her walking past the window. She was wearing a cherry red pantsuit that formed to her figure like it was made for her. She walked so gracefully in the black sky high heels she was wearing that it made him almost forget about her self-admitted clumsiness and the inauspicious way they met. Her locs were piled high on top of her head in a bun, making her neck look even more slender and graceful. All in all, she was absolutely beautiful.

When she turned and walked through the door, he caught his first glimpse of her face, making his breath catch in his throat. Her skin practically glowed and her lips were painted to match her suit. When she saw him, her eyes widened and her face erupted into a blinding smile. Rick inhaled deeply and returned her smile with one of his own. She walked over to where he stood, stopping a few feet in front of him.

"Hi, Rick. I'm sorry I'm a little late. I know the garage is right next door but parking was a nightmare!"

"You're not late and I'm still waiting for our table anyway. How are you, Michonne?"

"I'm great…" She paused and reached into the bag she had slung over her shoulder pulling out his tie. "Here you go! One very stylish, Armani tie." He laughed and took the garment from his hand.

"Thank you so much, I was lost without it!"

"I'm sure…"

 _"_ _Grimes…party of two…"_

"Sounds like our table is ready." He stepped to the side and allowed her to lead the way back to the hostess stand and then to the table. As he followed her, he had to keep reminding himself to keep his eyes forward and not check her out. It was not the easiest task considering the way she walked and the way her pants conformed to her body. But they reached the table without incident and she slid into the booth side and he sat in the chair facing her. The server appeared a minute later and took their drink orders leaving them to silently explore the menu.

"So…what do you recommend for someone who has never had Thai?", she inquired.

"There's so much amazing food to choose from! I went to Thailand when I was in college, fell in love with it, and this place has the most authentic Thai food I've had in the states."

"Why did you go to Thailand?" She stopped looking at the menu and focused all of her attention on him. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with interest; drawing him in and drowning him in their depths. He had to clear his throat and his head before he could answer her question.

"I-I don't know. My friend Shane is always looking for a party and Bangkok was the place to be at the time. He would've ended up in a Thai prison if I let him go alone so…"

"…and you just had to go with him to keep him out of trouble, right?", she laughed, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction. He chuckled and held up his hands in defense.

"When you say it like that it sounds like I'm exaggerating but you don't know Shane. He attracts trouble. He's settled down a bit since he got married last year but let's just say his wife still has her hands full with that one!" Her gorgeous smile reappeared and she rested her chin on her palm as she gazed across the table at him.

"Good to know you have his back!" Rick shrugged and sighed.

"Yeah…he's a pain in the ass but he's my best friend."

"It's all good! Anyway, I'm 99.9 percent sure that's the way Glenn describes me!" He laughed, nearly choking on the sip of water he'd taken.

"You? I don't believe that at all."

"You just don't know me well enough yet."

"Hopefully this lunch goes a long way to changing that." Shit. He was flirting with her. He didn't mean to flirt with her.

"Well…since you want to get to know me and because you're the expert in all things Thai, maybe you should order for me." Their eyes met over their menus and Rick was struck by something even more jarring that realizing he was flirting with her. She was flirting back.

"I never said I was an expert!"

"You know more about it than I do so order me something good! Nothing is off limits."

"Are you sure? That's a lot of pressure to put on a guy you just met.", he teased. She shrugged and put her menu down, folding her arms over it in a challenge to him to figure out what she would like.

"You can handle it." He grinned, accepting her challenge and continued perusing the menu.

"Ok…how do you feel about spicy food?"

"Love it! Just as long as it's not so hot that you can't taste the flavor."

"I agree. How about I order a lot of different things and we can share?"

"That sounds perfect!" The server stopped by the table and he ordered what he believed would give her a comprehensive sampling of Thai food. The server left and Rick gazed across the table at Michonne.

"Umm…thank you for calling about my tie. This is going to sound insane but I have court this week and it's my lucky tie." She turned her head and pointed out a single silver clasp wrapped around one of her locs.

"That's not insane. I have a lucky hair clip. I wear it every time I meet with potential clients."

"Does it work?", he asked as she turned back around.

"If it didn't work, it wouldn't be my lucky hair clip now would it!", she replied with a confident grin.

"That's very true! Still, I'm sorry again about leaving it. I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't have appreciated finding another guy's tie in your car."

"I don't have a boyfriend so no worries." He couldn't explain the relief he felt upon hearing that she was unattached especially considering that he was very attached. He was also surprised because in his mind, there was no way a woman a beautiful and accomplished as the one sitting across from him should be single. His female friends always complained about the stupidity of men. Maybe they were right.

"How is that even possible?" The words slipped out before he had a chance to catch them. She looked down and he could've sworn he saw a blush creep across her cheeks.

"I don't know…I guess I haven't met anyone interesting in a while."

"I'm sorry. That was a very impolite question…"

"No, it's fine…really." She shook her head and absently reached across the table to give his hand a squeeze. The touch of her hand sent sparks of electricity flowing throughout his body. He figured she must of realized what she'd done because just a quickly as she touched him, she was withdrawing her touch. "So tell me about you. Are you from Atlanta?"

"I grew up in Druid Hills."

"Druid Hills, huh? Fancy! I bet you went to Woodward Academy." He wrinkled his eyebrows as he tried to figure out how she knew that about him. Woodward Academy was THE private school in Atlanta. He'd been on a waitlist for that place almost since the day him mother found out she was pregnant with him.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"You just have that air of posh all around you!" She was teasing him and he tilted his head to one side and smirked.

"If that's the case, I'm doing something very wrong with my life!" She laughed and it was quite possibly the most glorious sound he'd ever heard.

"I was kidding! I really just guessed." He placed his hand over his heart feigning relief.

"Thank God! So are you from here too?" She nodded and as she took a sip from her glass of water.

"I've lived here my whole life except for my four years at Cornell." He raised his eyebrows in admiration. He hadn't been able to swing an admission to an ivy league school and that was with his status as a Yale legacy.

"Go Big Red! How'd you like New York?"

"I love New York! There was a part of me that wanted to stay. I had a few offers from firms up there but I decided to come back to Atlanta. I missed my family and friends way too much…where did you go to school?"

"I went to the University of Georgia for undergrad and Tulane for law school." Her face lit up as soon as the words "New Orleans" left his mouth.

"The last time I went to New Orleans was Mardi Gras 2 years ago. It was kind of a girls weekend before my friend Sasha's wedding." He immediately pictured her walking in the French Quarter wearing very little and carrying a very large Hurricane. He quickly shook that image away before it got him into trouble.

"That sounds like nothing but trouble." She sighed and looked off into space for a moment like she was reminiscing over her time there. When she finally spoke, she sounded almost wistful.

"It was! We went to almost every bar in the Quarter and ate the most amazing food! I don't think we slept more than 3 hours the entire trip! I swear I nearly OD'd on beignets at 4am!"

"Cafe Du Monde or Cafe Beignet?", he questioned, knowing that it was a very divisive question but there was only one correct answer.

"Cafe Du Monde, duh!", she stated, rolling her eyes dismissively like how dare he even ask her a pedestrian question like that one. He held up his hands in mock defense.

"Hey, I was just making sure! I'd hate to have to end this lunch right here!" She narrowed her eyes and leaned across the table toward him, resting her chin in her palm.

"A man who is serious about his fried dough…I like it! Best doughnut in Atlanta?" She asked the question like it his answer would be the solution to climate change.

"Tough question but the answer is simple. Bacon Butterscotch at Bon Glaze." He stated after pretending to think about it for a second.

"What?!", she exclaimed, slapping the table with her free hand. "That's ok but it doesn't even come close to the Bacon Caramel at Revolution!", she debated. He huffed and shook his head.

"No way!"

"Yes way! When was the last time you've had the Bacon Caramel? It literally melts in your mouth!", she insisted and he had to admit that she was cute when she was adamant about something, but he refused to waver.

"It's been a while, but I had a Bacon Butterscotch Saturday and it was life changing!" He insisted, enjoying this completely ridiculous argument more than he should've.

"At least we agree on the most important thing." Their eyes met and they both were wearing identical grins.

"Bacon!" They exclaimed in unison, bursting into a fit of laughter together at their common thought.

Just then, the server appeared with all of their food, and Rick took his time to explain what everything was as she tasted all of it.

"This is all amazing! It's so good!", she moaned after tasting a little bit of everything.

"I'm glad you like it." He grinned over at her, glad he was able to bring her so much happiness through food. He was absolutely sure that was the way to her heart.

"It's delicious! I'm kicking myself for never trying Thai before! If you haven't noticed, I love food." He heard the hint of embarrassment in her words and he found it so endearing.

"I really hadn't noticed", he joked, watching her take another bite of the chicken satay, enjoying her healthy appetite. He wasn't used to that. Lori always took about five bites of anything before proclaiming, "I'm full".

"Funny…" She smiled over at him and he noticed that she had a little bit of peanut sauce on her cheek and without thinking, he reached across the table and wiped it away with his thumb.

"You had a little sauce on your face…" He found himself staring at her a little longer than he should so he quickly looked away turning his attention back to his plate.

"Rick…what are we doing?"

"I-I don't know. All I'm sure about is that I like talking to you."

"I like talking to you too but…this is…"

"Complicated. I know." There was silence as they both absorbed their conversation. Rick could see the discomfort in her eyes and he felt terrible for making her uncomfortable in any way. "Michonne…"

Before he could finish his statement, a familiar, feminine voice derailed his train of thought.

"Oh my god, it really is you!", she said and Rick sighed as he looked up at her because while he didn't want anything to interrupt his time with Michonne, he was a little grateful for the delay of the inevitable.

"Of all the restaurants in Atlanta, I end up at the same one as you!", he stated with a frown. She narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip.

"One, it's the best Thai restaurant in the city and two, you never make time to have lunch with me." He stared at her incredulously.

"You always bring 2 friends and make me pay for everyone!"

"Isn't that what big brothers are for?" Rick stood up and embraced his sister in a warm hug.

"Apparently!", He laughed, glancing at his lunch companion who looked amused, but also utterly confused.

"Michonne Bishop, this is my very irritating little sister Margaret Grimes." He watched as the two women shook hands. He and his sister were very close despite their age difference. He was almost 9 when she was born and he learned later that their mother had been told she wouldn't be able to have any more children after him. His little sister had been a very welcome surprise. She and Rick had the same dark hair but Rick got his mother's ocean blue eyes while Maggie took their father's green ones. Everyone always said that they had the same smile. "Maggie, this is Michonne."

"Hi, Michonne. Please ignore my brother's description of me. I'm the best sister he could ask for."

"Hi Maggie. I have two older brothers so I got you!" Michonne greeted, flashing her megawatt smile. Maggie returned the smile and slid into the chair next to where Rick had been sitting.

"Then you completely understand how frustrating older brothers can be! It's nice to meet you…wait. You're the girl that almost broke his ankle, right?" Rick's eyes widened as he sat back down in his chair when Michonne turned back to him with a half grin.

"Is that how you're describing me, Grimes? The woman who almost broke your ankle?" Her coining of a nickname for him slowed his mind to a crawl so by the time he opened his mouth to contest Maggie's words, she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"I didn't believe him. I figured he was just being dramatic. Men can be such babies when they're hurt!" Both women started laughing and Rick couldn't help but smile even though it was at his expense.

"Actually, he's right. I'm buying your brother lunch so he won't sue me." Maggie's eyes widened and she turned to swat at his arm.

"Rick!" Rolling his eyes, he went back to eating his Moo Yang.

"She's kidding, Maggie!" Michonne chuckled to herself and took a bite of her food.

"Yeah, the truth is that he's buying me lunch. Rick, you should ask your sister to join us. There's enough here to feed at least 4 more people." Groaning, Rick leaned back in his chair.

"Why don't you join us for lunch, Maggie?"

"Thanks! I'd love to!" Just then, Michonne's phone rang. She picked it up and after glancing at the screen, she rose from her seat.

"I really need to take this. Will you both excuse me for a moment?" Maggie watched as she walked away from the table and the instant Michonne was out of earshot she turned to Rick.

"Ok, spill it. What are you doing?" He'd never seen his sister with a look as serious as the one she wore as she questioned him.

"What do you mean? She's returning my tie and I bought her lunch to apologize for being such a jerk at the hospital the other day. What are you even doing on this side of town? Don't you have class today?" Maggie was in her second year of the Elementary education Masters program at Georgia State.

"My first class ended at 11:30 and my next class isn't until 3 and I called you three times to see if you needed me to bring you lunch today considering your injury."

"I had a meeting this morning and I must have missed the calls."

"Not a problem. I figured I'd stop by and surprise you but I was the one surprised when I saw you through the window making googly eyes at a woman who isn't Lori. What if she'd walked by and saw you?"

"She and Andrea are having a spa day but even if she did, it's not like that at all. You're imagining things."

"Maybe…but I'm not imagining how attractive she is. I mean…wow! She's absolutely gorgeous and she seems like a sweetheart." It took everything in him not to verbally agree with his sister's assessment of Michonne, but she was right. Every moment he spent with her made him want to spend another moment with her. "And I'm definitely not imagining how quickly you two went from the meet-cute to friends." He shook his head and tried to rid his mind of the inappropriate thoughts residing there.

"You watch too many sappy movies with mom", he scoffed as he went back to focusing on his food.

"You two could be in one of those sappy movies with the way y'all are looking at each other!" Rick was quickly becoming irritated with her line of questioning and he released a heavy sigh.

"Maggie…it's just lunch, ok? I'm probably never going to see her again after today so whatever you saw, doesn't matter." He surprised himself with that confession, and he hoped that Maggie would let it go.

"You sound disappointed about that…" He pushed the food around on his plate. "Rick?" He couldn't bring himself to meet Maggie's eyes because he knew if he did, she would see how conflicted he was about the woman he'd known for a grand total of three days.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter." He looked up at Maggie for the first time since their conversation took that direction and from the way her face fell and the sympathy that shone in her eyes, he knew he'd revealed more than he intended. They could always read each other, and she read him like a book just from that one look.

"Oh, Rick…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Maggie. I like her…a lot but I can't just end things with Lori because I met someone else. We've been together too long for that." His sister sighed and shook her head.

"Whatever...she's coming back. We'll table this discussion for later...who's that guy she's with?", she mused as she stared at Michonne and the Asian guy with the floppy hair and glasses she was walking with.

"I don't know…"

"Is he her boyfriend?" Rick took in the fitted business suit the guy was wearing and how comfortable the two of them seemed and reached his own conclusion.

"No. She doesn't have a boyfriend. If I had to guess, that's her friend, Glenn. They're business partners and she mentioned having a meeting near here after lunch."

"Oh…he's cute." Maggie pulled her compact out of her purse and checked her reflection. She tucked a few stray strands of her wavy, shoulder length hair behind her ear. "What do you know about him?"

"Nothing, because I've never met him." Maggie rolled her eyes and shoved her compact back in her purse before carefully smoothing her black and white polka dotted shell.

"You're useless!" Rick shot her an incredulous glare.

"I'm not your matchmaker!" She was opening her mouth to respond when Michonne and her companion reached the table transforming her exasperated expression into a welcoming one complete with a patented Maggie Grimes brilliant smile.

"Rick, Maggie…this is my friend and business partner, Glenn Rhee. He's running early for our meeting so I told him to come join us. Glenn, this is Rick Grimes and his sister, Maggie."

"Nice to meet you both. I hope you don't mind me joining you." Maggie was talking before Rick even had a chance to think about what he wanted to say.

"The more the merrier, is what I always say! Come on!" Glenn smiled and took the seat across from Maggie and Michonne returned to her seat across from Rick. "Let's dig in before everything gets cold!"

A slightly awkward silence set in as Maggie and Glenn began sampling the multitude of dishes spread out before them. Rick pretended to eat but he was really watching Michonne push her food around on her plate. Their conversation, right before Maggie crashed it, was about to go down a path he didn't think they were ready to go down. At least, he knew he wasn't and based on her behavior since then, neither was she.

"So…you're business partners?", Maggie stated, breaking the silence. Glenn looked up and immediately started talking.

"Yeah, Michonne and I started an architectural design firm a few months ago." He was talking really fast but Maggie was completely transfixed.

"Really? That sounds amazing!"

"It's cool. What about you? What do you do?" Rick saw Michonne roll her eyes out of the corner of his eye. It was good to know that she was seeing the same thing he was.

"I'm working on my masters in elementary education at Georgia State. I have an internship at Woodward Academy working with the first graders." Every sentence Maggie spoke was punctuated with a flirty smile and Rick could see that Glenn was eating it up.

"Is that what you want to do? Be a teacher?" Maggie nodded emphatically.

"Our mom is a teacher and I always wanted to follow in her footsteps. It doesn't hurt that I love kids."

"I bet kids love you too."

"Aww, you're sweet!"

"So are you…I mean…thank you." Rick watched the blush creep across Maggie's face and looked over at Michonne who was wearing an expression he was certain matched his own. Their eyes met and they both fell into a fit of laughter.

Maggie and Glenn took a break from their mutual admiration of each other to look at Rick and Michonne.

"What's so funny?" Maggie spoke first, with her eyebrow raised and a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Nothing!"

"Nope! Nothing at all." Rick grinned when he realized that he and Michonne were speaking in stereo. Maggie glanced over to Glenn.

"Why do I get the feeling they're lying to us, Glenn?" His eyes were fixed on Michonne whom Rick was sure was trying her damnedness not to laugh again. But she couldn't fool her best friend.

"Because they are." Maggie nodded her agreement; her eyes never leaving Rick's.

"I thought so too and I bet it's at our expense!"

"No…", exclaimed Michonne at the exact same time Rick proclaimed, "Never…" and it threw them both back into a giggling fit. Maggie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Glenn.

"Well, I've never been one to beat around the bush like some people I know…so, Glenn?" Rick was enjoying himself too much to take offense a Maggie's dig. Glenn's eyes left Michonne and refocused on Maggie.

"Yes?"

"Give me your phone.", Maggie demanded, holding out her hand toward Glenn. Without a second thought, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to her. She took it and quickly began typing away, handing it back to him a few seconds later. "Now you have my number and I have yours. Dinner Friday night?"

"Absolutely! I mean…sure. I don't think I have any plans." Rick couldn't help but smile at the eagerness Glenn wore on his face and carried in his voice. He seemed like a good guy and Rick hoped his sister wouldn't completely wear him out.

"Great! Text me with the details?"

"Ok!" Maggie rose from the table and slung her bag over her shoulder, finally turning back to Rick.

"Thanks for lunch, bro and I'll see you at mom and dad's on Sunday?"

"No, I'll be out of town remember."

"That's right! Have fun on Tybee Island and call me when you get back." She ruffled his hair which she knew he hated, and turned to Michonne with a warm smile.

"I enjoyed meeting you Michonne. Hopefully, I'll get to see you again soon."

"Same here, Maggie."

"Glenn…see you Friday?"

"With pleasure!" Rick watched in amusement as Glenn's eyes followed Maggie out of the restaurant. He turned back to Rick, looking very overwhelmed and wearing a silly grin. "Is she always like that?"

"Yeah. When Maggie sees something she likes, nothing stands in her way." Glenn continued smiling to himself as he took a huge bite of Chicken Pad Thai. Rick glanced over to Michonne who was shaking her head at Glenn while wearing a happy smile. She sighed loudly and placed a hand on Glenn's shoulder.

"Ok, loverboy. Our meeting is in 20 minutes so we'd better get going." Glenn glanced at his watch before stuffing his face with some basil fried rice.

"You're right," he began, looking back toward Rick. "What do I owe for lunch?" Rick shook his head with a laugh.

"I ordered all this for Michonne and me so it's on me."

"Sweet! Thanks!" He wiped his mouth and rose from his seat, turning to Michonne. "I'll meet you outside?"

"Yeah. I'll be right out."

"Awesome meeting you Rick!" Rick accepted the hand Glenn extended to him and shook it vigorously. Something told him he would be seeing more of him thanks to Maggie.

"You too, Glenn."

"I apologize for Michonne's clumsiness resulting in your sprained ankle, however, you should know that clumsiness may be her only flaw." Rick fixed his eyes on Michonne who was still sitting in her seat giving Glenn a look he couldn't quite read.

"I'm beginning to see that." Glenn walked toward the exit, leaving Rick with Michonne.

"Your sister and my best friend…", she murmured with a smile. He nodded and allowed his eyes to meet hers.

"Yeah. I guess we played matchmaker without realizing it." Michonne cocked her head to the side and shrugged.

"As soon as I saw Maggie, I knew Glenn would just love her. She's adorable!"

"She is…but she's fiery too. I hope Glenn can handle that."

"He's a calming presence in my life. I bet he can do that for her too." She surmised as their eyes remained locked on each other.

Rick knew that was it. In a few moments, he was going to watch her walk out of his life possibly forever.

"Michonne, what we were talking about earlier…about it being complicated…", he stuttered as he searched his mind for the right words to say.

"That's just it…it's really not." He nodded at her assessment of their situation and his eyes fell away from her face because he knew exactly what she was saying. As long as he had a girlfriend, it wasn't complicated. As long as he had a girlfriend, it wasn't anything and Rick wasn't sure how he felt about that.

She gathered her things and slowly rose from her seat with him mirroring her movements. They stood facing each other, and Rick wanted to live in that moment for as long as he could.

"I'd better go…Thank you again for lunch. You really didn't have to do that."

"It was my pleasure." He stepped in closer to her and gently placed a hand on her arm. Her eyes widened and he knew she realized what he was about to do, but she didn't move. He took that as permission, and leaned in closer to her, becoming slightly dazed by how good she smelled. It was a mixture of coconut, vanilla, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was intoxicating; and he closed his eyes to savor it before placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. He stepped back but a few seconds passed before she cleared her throat to speak.

"Um…so…if you and I were friends, I would invite you to game night at Hilltop Brewery in Buckhead on Monday nights. We always get together for Monday Night Football, but in the offseason…we do games like Cards Against Humanity and stuff." He heard the question hidden behind her words and he paused to mull it over. Was he capable of just being friends with this woman even though his feelings for her were slightly more than friendly? Was it fair to Lori to continue being around Michonne?

"Is it a group of you?", he questioned because for some reason he though if he saw her with a group of people, it wouldn't be so bad. When you knew you were lying to yourself but kept going anyway, you should know without a doubt that you're in way over your head.

"Yeah. Me, Glenn…a few other friends of ours. You could bring your friend Shane...or anyone really." How he responded to her question would determine if he was going to continue down the dangerous path he was traveling or if he would stop before things went too far. He stared at his shoes for a moment before looking back up at her with his decision made.

"Well, as your friend, I'll try to make it." With his acceptance of her invitation, he knew he was damming himself to even more uncertainty but he didn't care. He wanted her in his life and if being her friend was the only way he could have her there, he was going to take it.

"Ok, great!", she exhaled, sounding more excited and relieved that he's accepted her invitation than she should've been. He remained hypnotized by her smile as he fumbled through his pockets for a business card. Finding one, he extended it to her with a grin.

"I'm still a bit old school but my cell is on there. You can call me so I'll have yours."

"Will do! I should go. Glenn is probably pacing out front right now."

"Nah. Knowing Maggie, she's probably texting him already and he's floating on cloud nine." She nodded her agreement with a chuckle.

"Probably, but still…we can't be late for our meeting. I'll see you around?" He gave her a short nod.

"Yeah, definitely! Bye, Michonne."

"Bye, Rick." He watched as she turned to leave; focusing on every step she took as she made her way across the restaurant and out to the street where Glenn was waiting. It wasn't until she was out of sight that he flopped back down into his seat and released a sigh of frustration. Any hope he had of this lunch being the end of his fascination with her, was gone. If anything, he was even more curious to know everything about her. Everything about her was everything. The intense attraction he felt toward Michonne weighed on him, but what he'd said to Maggie was true. He couldn't end his relationship based on an unexpected attraction to a woman he just met.

He signaled the server for the check and began to prepare himself mentally for going back to work; trying to stop thinking about the woman who had just turned his world on its head. His phone buzzing in his pocket interrupted his thoughts. After retrieving his phone from his pocket, he looked down at the unknown number and almost ignored it, but a little voice inside his head encouraged him to take a look.

 _Hey it's Michonne. Thanks again for lunch and I hope your lucky tie keeps its magic for court this week! :)_

The silly grin he had while reading that text remained on his face for the rest of the day to the point where Shane asked him if his long lunch included a nooner and refused to believe him when he said it didn't.

Whew! Longest chapter thus far! It was just lunch, right? ;) A lot happened, I mean, our OTP can't be around each other without flirting...but more importantly, it set up some stuff and thangs to come!

So there is a Maggie in this story and she's Rick's sister! Obviously this story will have a bit of Gleggie now! :) Rick is still having a crisis of conscience and is under the impression that he can just be platonic with Michonne. All I'm going to say is that even though it was inevitable, it was a long time between 3X06 and 6X10. :)

Thank you for reading along this far. Please review. Your feedback can only help me get better!

Next Chapter: Tybee Island :)


	6. Chapter 6 - Tybee Island

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading and/or reviewing! Y'all are amazing! I love reading your reactions to the chapters! Some of them are pretty laugh out loud and I live for them! To those concerned about smut with Rick and Lori...no worries! I want to write that about as much as you want to read it LMAO!**

 **So a lot of you have said that they are playing with fire...tiptoeing on the line between friendship and something else. They are and that's going to continue for a little bit longer. It's an angsty rom-com! I promise the payoff will be worth it!**

 **So here we go with Chapter Six and the non-proposal...I hope y'all enjoy it! Let me know either way. I really appreciate the reviews and it means more to me than you know! :)**

 **-Michelle**

 **Chapter 6 - Tybee Island**

The sun sat low in the sky and a cool breeze traveled across the ocean and onto the deck where Rick stood nursing a beer. It was the second day of the long weekend away, he and Lori's actual anniversary, and he was waiting for everyone to be ready to go to dinner. He had to admit it had been a good weekend so far. They'd arrived late Thursday night after a long drive with Shane behind the wheel for most of it. Lori and Andrea slept most of the way, leaving him and Shane to laugh and talk shit like they'd done since they were kids.

The house he'd rented online turned out just as it was advertised. It was right on the beach with a pool and enormous wraparound porch with a porch swing in the shade out of the blistering heat. Most importantly, the two bedrooms were on opposite sides of the house and being painfully aware of how enthusiastic Andrea and Shane were in bed due to a trip they'd all taken to Miami the year before, Rick was exceedingly grateful for that amenity.

Their Friday was spent at the beach, which wasn't too crowded for weekend in late June. A few couples and a few more families were dotted along the shore building sandcastles, sunbathing, and engaging in a variety of other activities. Rick and Lori had soaked up some sun and enjoyed the show of Shane trying to teach Andrea how to surf. A lot of the time they were in Thailand had been spent surfing in Rayong and Shane considered himself an expert. He may have been a decent surfer but he was a horrible teacher. She could never pop up on the board and it made Shane to break into a fit of laughter every time she wiped out. Eventually, she got frustrated and tried to storm away from his teasing but he'd grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down into the sand where they became focused on things other than surfing.

They were happy and as Rick glanced over at Lori relaxing in the chair next to him, he decided that he wanted a little bit of that happiness for himself. She looked absolutely gorgeous in the strapless, barely there white bikini she wore to avoid tan lines and her hair pulled up into a messy bun.

"Babe, why don't we give it a try?", he'd asked her; as he grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her wrist. "Looks like they're having a good time." Lori sat up and tilted her rose gold, Tom Ford sunglasses up to get a better look at their friends who at that point, had returned to their surfing lessons wearing identical grins.

"Can't we just stay here? I just put sunscreen on.", she'd whined, squeezing his hand as she lowered her sunglasses and fell back to her previous position. "Maybe in a bit, ok?"

"Sure", he'd replied; sighing with disappointment and retrieving his copy of American Gods from their bag. He had spent the rest of the morning reading and trying to remind himself of the reasons he'd fallen in love with Lori in the first place.

She hadn't always been like that. When they met in college, she was in a rebellious stage; majoring in art history instead of business like her parents wished and completely immersing herself in that arty, bohemian culture. They'd met at a party during his junior year and he'd become hypnotized by everything about her. Of course, her looks had been the first thing he'd noticed. Her dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves creating a stark contrast with her porcelain skin. Her chocolate eyes had drawn him in and her smile had a way of making him weak in the knees. She had also been wearing a dress that maximized her curves in all the best ways.

That first night their conversation had run the gamut from art to music, to politics and travel. She'd told him she wanted to change the world and he'd eaten up every bit of it. She was smart and her beauty was the icing on the cake. She was so different from the privileged, snobby girls he'd dated previously. Or so he'd thought at the time.

They'd started dating almost immediately and when she invited him up to her room after their third date, he'd been certain that he'd hit the jackpot. While they both came from money, he'd finally found someone who was grounded and not wrapped up in all of the trappings that came with it.

He and Lori became virtually inseparable until he graduated and that's when things began to change. She still had two years to go and he was leaving Atlanta for law school at Tulane. Even though they were in love, they agreed to go on a break because long distance relationships were hard and they both needed to focus on their work. It was completely her idea and even though he'd been willing to persevere through the distance, he agreed with her because it was what she wanted. They'd talk and text, but for nearly three years they were, by any and all definitions, just friends.

Until one day she showed up on his doorstep in New Orleans talking about how much she missed him and how much she loved him and that breaking up had been the worst decision they'd ever made. He'd missed her too, and that combined with the way she claimed they belonged together, made him jump right back into a relationship with her without taking a minute to see how much she'd changed.

Gone was the fun, bohemian girl he'd fell in love with. In her place was a designer label wearing sorority girl who was more interested in spa days and exclusive parties than she was in changing the world. She'd used her degree to get a job working as a buyer for a boutique gallery in midtown and while it wasn't the business career her parents had wanted for her, they were closer than ever; buying her a luxury condo in a midtown high rise as a graduation gift. He would never be sure and she would never admit it, but he was fairly certain that the new and improved Lori was a result of interference from her parents. Maybe even the result of a threat of being cut off.

Either way, after he graduated from Tulane he moved back to Atlanta, got his job at the firm and moved in with Shane. But then Shane met Lori's friend Andrea, married her after a whirlwind romance, and suddenly Rick was living with Lori in that high rise condo and she was expecting a ring. Apparently, the nearly three years apart didn't factor into Lori's five year plan. Neither counted the years apart, but what she counted as 4-1/2 years, he only saw as 2-1/2 but never mind that little detail. The anniversary they were celebrating was of the beginning of their relationship in college not their reconciliation.

The rest of Friday went better. After their morning at the beach, Lori's attitude improved dramatically and she was almost the Lori he fell in love with again. They'd gone to a little seafood restaurant on the beach for dinner and after sharing three bottles of wine with Shane and Andrea, they slow danced under the stars. The night ended with drunken, sloppy kisses and impatient lovemaking.

Suddenly, it was Saturday and after a rainy afternoon spent drinking way too much and playing board games with their friends, they were preparing to leave for their anniversary dinner and Rick could feel the anxiety settling in on him like a weight on his shoulders. He ran his fingers over the small velvet box in his pocket and sighed. Even though he wasn't second guessing himself in the slightest, he wasn't looking forward to her reaction to his non-proposal.

"Rick?" He turned around to find Shane and Andrea standing behind him. Excitement surrounded Andrea like an aura. Her shoulder length blonde hair was twisted back away from her face and her blue eyes shone with glee as she practically bounced over to him. "We're almost ready. Lori's putting the finishing touches on her makeup." He nodded and finished off the beer in his hand; his second of the evening and they hadn't even made it to dinner yet. A conspiratorial smile appeared on Andrea's face and she placed a hand on his arm. "You don't have to be nervous! She's going to say yes! Just signal me or something so I can get video for Instagram!" Rick caught Shane rolling his eyes over her shoulder.

"Andrea! Can you ever just mind your own business!" The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed at her husband's admonishment and he was hit with the evil eye as she turned away from Rick.

"Oh you be quiet! Rick and Lori are our business!" Shane shook his head and folded his arms over his chest.

"Well why don't you go check on Lori since she's your business and let me handle my business with Rick."

"Fine!" She agreed, walking toward Shane. when she reached him, she gently patted his face with her palm. "You're lucky you're cute Mr. Walsh!", she continued, before flitting back inside and leaving Rick and Shane out on the porch.

"Those earrings didn't miraculously turn into a two and a half carat diamond ring over the last few days, did it?"

"Will you keep your voice down?!" Rick glanced back toward the house to make sure that neither Lori or Andrea had ventured outside. "No. They're still earrings. I'm thinking I should give them to her now instead of at the restaurant. Maybe she won't be so disappointed." Shane nodded at his logic.

"You want me to go on ahead with Andrea? Give y'all some privacy?"

"Yeah. That may be for the best." Shane lightly punched his arm and turned back toward the house.

"She's gonna be madder than a hornet but she'll eventually get over it. You ain't saying you never want to marry her. Just not right now, right?"

"Of course." He followed Shane inside where Andrea was still waiting for Lori to emerge from the bedroom.

"She says she's almost ready..."

"Andrea, let's go on ahead. Rick and Lori will catch up." A look of extreme confusion crept across Andrea's features as Shane moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"What? But..."

"Come on." He urged as he gently directed her towards the door.

"What about the proposal?", she whined, shooting Rick an irritated glare.

"l already told you. You need to mind your own business!" Shane nudged his wife out the door and turned back to Rick.

"Text me so I'll know what's going on either way." Rick nodded before walking over and closing the door behind them.

He took a minute to collect his thoughts before walking into the bedroom he and Lori shared. She was standing in front of the full length mirror admiring herself. He had to admit that she looked good in her long black halter dress. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail and her makeup was immaculate. She glanced up at him for only a moment.

"Hey, baby. I just need to grab my shoes and I'll be ready to go…", she said absently as she continued putting on her jewelry. Rick cleared his throat and took deep breath.

"I sent Shane and Andrea on ahead. I wanted to talk to you before we go." She looked up at him with a look of irritation he knew well.

"Ok…" He could tell she wanted to say more; question him about why he'd done that, but she held back and he took that as a sign to keep talking.

"Lori...we've been together a long time and you know I love you, right?"

"Of course I do!" A wide smile graced her lips. "Are you sure you don't want to do this at the restaurant?" He shook his head in irritation as he absorbed her words. A proposal was such a given at that point that she was more concerned about the lack of photos and videos for social media than she was about the actual proposal. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box.

"I saw this and thought of you. Happy Anniversary." He held the box out to her and there was a long pause as she stared at the box before slowly lifting it from his hand. The smile had disappeared from her face and her eyebrows wrinkled and he saw the wheels turning in her head as confusion settled in behind her eyes. She held the box but stared at him like she was waiting for him to drop to one knee. When he stood his ground, she flopped on the edge of the bed.

"Rick…" There was an edge in the way she said that one word that he hated hearing.

"It's probably not what you were expecting but it's from my heart." Those words were the last straw, and he watched as her eyes grew cold.

"We can stop speaking in code, Rick. We both know what's supposed to be in this box. What I can't understand is why it's not."

"Lori, I love you but we're not there yet."

"What do you mean? We've been living together for over a year after being together for years before that! What are you waiting for?"

"You know I only want to walk down that aisle once. I want it to be forever…", he tried to explain. His parent's marriage was the stuff of fairy tales and romance novels. He wasn't sure about much in life, but he was positive that he wanted that for himself.

"Are you saying you don't see forever with me?" He immediately began shaking his head.

"I'm not saying that…" He started, but her disappointment and anger pushed her to not let him finish.

"You know what? There are things I want too and pretty soon I'm not going to keep wasting my time on a man who refuses to commit." That sounded suspiciously like an ultimatum, but Rick didn't want to believe that what it was.

"What are you saying?", he questioned; his head slightly tilted to the side as he searched her expression for a hint to what she meant.

"I'm saying that the clock is ticking on you. Do you know I am the only one of my friends who isn't at least engaged by now?! I mean, even Andrea is married! Do you have any idea what a fool you're making me into?!" The venom that had crept into her words was palpable and Rick decided to keep his tone even in an attempt to prevent their conversation from escalating into a fight.

"I'm sorry Lori. That's never been my intention. I just want to know that we're both ready."

"I am ready! You're the one dragging your feet!", she yelled. He stood quietly knowing that anything he said would set her off more but also knowing that his silence would have the same result. "Aren't you going to say anything? Speak, Rick!" That phrase sent the anger he had simmering just below the surface finally boiling over.

"You're acting like our relationship is perfect! Things ain't perfect between us by a long shot! Even you have to see that!" His tone was harsh but she was unaffected.

"What do you mean, even I have to see that?", she spat those words at him contemptuously. His eyes narrowed and he fixed her with a cold stare.

"All I'm saying is that you want to get engaged so bad that you're ignoring all the things that are wrong with us! I'm saying we need to work on fixing those things before we take that next step!" Her anger propelled her off the bed and to her feet, the small, velvet box in her hand dropped and forgotten on the floor. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were full of angry, unshed tears.

"Well I'm sorry if I don't think our relationship is as terrible as you think it is! I'm sorry for thinking that we're amazing together! I'm sorry for wanting to be your wife so much that I think we can overcome anything!" He took a step towards her and tried to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Lori…" She jerked out of his reach and fixed her icy glare on him.

"Get out! I don't want to talk to you anymore! Sometimes I wonder if you even care about me at all!" Her words were dripping with venom and they struck Rick with enough force to make him physically take a step back. She stormed into the attached bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Rick stood dumfounded for a minute staring at the closed door. _Well, that could've gone better_ , he thought, as he retrieved the box from the floor. Shaking his head, he grimly considered the fact that she hadn't even opened it before he unceremoniously dropped it onto the nightstand.

Giving the bathroom door one last, defeated look, he left the bedroom, and after grabbing another beer from the refrigerator, he went back out onto the deck. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Shane.

 _It went as expected so we're not coming. You and Andrea have fun._

A response came in a second later.

 _Sorry man. Want us to bring y'all something back?_

 _Nah, I'm good._

The beach was right past the deck so he shoved his phone back into his pocket, took off his shoes and walked down to the water. He stood there staring out into the ocean, the gentle waves lapping at his feet, Lori's words on repeat in his mind. He'd never meant to hurt her, but he was fully aware that he had and it was going to be a long drive back to Atlanta in the morning with two women angry with him. Andrea always had Lori's back even if Lori didn't necessarily have hers. He chuckled to himself and took a long swig of his beer.

Nothing she'd said made him want to change his mind. If anything, it had made him more convinced that she only wanted to get married because it was something she was expected to do. _Sometimes I wonder if you even care about me at all…_ Those were the words he was struggling with; the words he couldn't fathom her thinking let alone saying. He'd always done everything to make sure she was happy even when it was at the expense of his own happiness. He always deferred to her. He'd given his life to her but she didn't think he cared about her? He was almost certain that he problem wasn't that he didn't care, it was that he cared too damn much.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. The real tragedy of it was that recently, he'd been thinking that same thing about her. Everything he said or did seemed to irritate her. She would show him glimpses of the Lori he fell in love with but that those moments were becoming fewer and farther between and he was quickly running out of reasons why to keep putting up with her bullshit. So yeah, she wasn't the only one thinking their significant other didn't give a damn about them. The only difference was that he would never throw those words in her face leaving her questioning her worth as a partner.

Backing away from the water, he collapsed into one of the adirondak chairs lining the beach and finished his beer. He could almost feel the alcohol going straight to his head; it was his third beer in a very short amount of time and when you coupled that with an empty stomach, it made him a lightweight. Usually, he was a happy drunk; content to laugh and let the good times roll. It was different that night. Instead of feeling relaxed, he felt on edge; needing only the smallest push to send him marching back into the cottage and ending it once and for all.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and a part of him hoped it was Lori looking for him so they could put each other out of their misery. But the other part of him still wasn't sure and after he fumbled through his pockets for his phone, he unconsciously held his breath before looking at the screen.

 _New Message from Michonne_

Just seeing her name there made his heart skip a beat. This was the first time she'd texted him since that first time and as much as he'd wanted to reach out to her, he'd felt conflicted about it. So even though she hadn't sent him any more information about game night with her friends at Hilltop Brewery, he'd accepted that maybe it was for the best.

He'd told himself not to think about her but he'd failed to the point of going out of his way to Revolution to try her beloved Bacon Caramel doughnuts before work the day they left for the beach. He still preferred Bon Glaze but he had to admit that it was delicious. He'd bought an extra one for Lori to try but she'd looked at him like he'd grown two heads for even thinking that she'd eat a doughnut. It almost doesn't need to be said that he'd happily eaten that one too and enjoyed every bite.

He'd wanted to text her to let her know about his taste test but he'd restrained himself. He'd told himself that it would be wrong considering he was on an anniversary trip with his girlfriend. But in that moment, just seeing her name pop across his phone, made him smile wider than he had in while and reaffirmed his belief in signs from God.

He eagerly unlocked the phone and read her text.

 _So game night at Hilltop starts at 7 Monday. Are you in?_

He didn't even have to think about it and he texted his response immediately.

 _I'll be there!_

Those three little dots appeared causing his excitement about what she was going to say next grow. The text finally came through and he had to laugh out loud after reading it.

 _Great! I hope you're good at spades, Grimes. I'd hate for you to get your ass kicked your first time out._

His fingers flew across the screen and he pulled his lip between his teeth as he composed his response and hit send.

 _I spent many a night in law school playing spades in the French Quarter so I'd hate to kick your ass my first time out._

Another text came through a few seconds later and he knew his smile grew wider as soon as he read it.

 _Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash…_

 _Maybe you should take your own advice…_

There was a long pause and Rick worried that she wasn't going to text back but finally and much to his relief, those three little dots popped back up.

 _A trash talker! Now I'm even more excited for Monday!_

 _Me too…_

"Rick?" Lori's voice jarred him out of his text bubble and he spun around to find her standing on the edge of the deck. She was still in her dress but her hair was down and her makeup was gone. Her eyes were puffy and red, letting him know that she had been crying. In the past, seeing her like that would've sent him running to comfort her. This time, he stayed put and he saw the exact moment when she realized that he wasn't going to fall to her feet. She folded her arms over her chest and took a few steps forward. "Can we talk?"

"When I wanted to talk, you wanted to slam doors.", he replied with a disinterested sign.

"I overreacted…", she began. Thinking no words could be more accurate to describe their argument, he chuckled to himself and took another swig of his beer.

"Is that right?" He could tell that his demeanor unsettled her. She stared at him with wide, innocent eyes and she questioned him in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Why are you being like this?" Just seeing her there trying her best to manipulate him into apologizing to her was enough to make him want to shut that conversation down completely.

"Look, Lori…I'm tired and a little bit drunk. So if your plan was to come out here looking all apologetic so I'll just let it all go, you can go right on back inside because I'm not playing your games tonight."He heard the exhaustion in his voice and he was sure she did too, but she kept pushing.

"But don't you think we need to talk about this?" He nodded his agreement but didn't make a move to approach her.

"Not tonight. Not like this. Both of us might end up saying things we don't mean."

"So we're just going to ignore each other until we get back to Atlanta?" she asked with a combination of surprise and sarcasm.

"I'd assumed you'd be ignoring me till about then anyway so…", he retorted with a shrug.

"You're such an ass!", she screamed as she stormed back into the cottage. He waited to hear the slamming of the door to the house and the door to the bedroom before heading back up on the deck and into the house. There was one good thing about Lori's expensive tastes. The house they'd rented had a small guest bedroom in the back and Rick tiredly flopped down on one of the twin beds, claiming it for the night.

He pulled out his phone and a regretful sigh escaped his lips when he saw his last text to Michonne still sitting there unsent. He'd left her hanging but the moment had passed, so he deleted the words before setting an alarm for the morning. He'd apologize Monday when he saw her. After dropping his phone on the nightstand, he was alone in the dark with just his thoughts for company. He stared up at the ceiling and considered everything that happened between him and Lori that night and what might happen when they got back to Atlanta. His relationship was at its breaking point. If he was being completely honest with himself, he didn't really know if he even had a relationship any more. That was the thought clouding his mind as he drifted off to sleep and he couldn't bring himself to be the least bit upset about it.

 **A/N: One more thing...I'm going to do my best to update weekly. Saturday or Sunday will be update day here on out! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Difficult Decisions

**A/N: Thanks to every single one of you who is reading, leaving reviews, favoriting, and/or following! I wish I could reply to each and every one of you. I hope this chapter resolves a few of the concerns some of you are having. Let me know!**

 **Chapter Seven - Difficult Decisions**

She had gone straight into their bedroom as soon as they entered the condo and closed the door behind her. She hadn't spoken one word to him since their conversation on the deck the night before and it made for an exceedingly awkward drive back to Atlanta. But the silence had given him time to sort through everything that was rolling around in his head and as he'd driven out of Tybee Island with Lori sitting in the backseat wearing dark sunglasses that nearly covered her entire face and her head on Andrea's comforting shoulder, he'd realized that they'd stopped communicating way before that day.

Nearly every serious conversation they'd had lately somehow devolved into an argument over her behavior or his lack of interest in whatever petty thing she was obsessed with that day, or her lack of interest in anything not involving her. If he was being honest with himself, things should've come to a head with Lori months ago. He wasn't exactly sure if it was a misguided sense of loyalty that kept him with her or the gnawing hope that she would somehow become the person he fell in love with again.

The debacle the night before illustrated without a doubt that the person he fell in love with didn't exist anymore and instead of hoping that she would magically reappear, that energy had been redirected to figuring out if he could love the Lori that had replaced her. The romantic in him believed that everyone deserved that at the minimum; someone who loved them they way they are. Lori deserved that but more significantly, so did he.

By the time Rick cruised his SUV into Atlanta's city limits, he'd made his decision. He'd driven straight to Shane and Andrea's house where Shane had given him a hug and whispered, _"Don't focus on being the good guy. Do what's best for you"_. Even though they hadn't spoken a word about it, Shane knew what he was wrestling with internally. Rick had nodded appreciatively and squeezed his shoulder, thankful for his friend in that moment.

After Andrea and Lori exchanged an exaggerated goodbye complete with a "you are such a shit" look from Andrea to him, he'd driven home with his stomach in knots over what he knew he had to do.

Like Shane had alluded to, Rick was always the good guy. He was still friends with most of the women he'd dated before Lori because those relationships had ended naturally. Now, all of that was going to change.

He was so deep in his thoughts that Lori's emergence from the bedroom almost went unnoticed. She was had changed into different clothes but was still wearing those ridiculous sunglasses and carrying one of her larger handbags. When she breezed past him, treating him like he didn't exist, he was in such a state of shock that she made it all the way to the front for before his brain kicked back into gear.

"We need to talk", he said as she opened the door.

"I'm going to my parents house.", she announced. "I just can't be around you right now." With that, she was gone; leaving him to carry the weight of his decision for a little while longer. Looking around the condo at the pictures of him with Lori adorning the walls, he began feeling slightly claustrophobic.

He sighed and glanced at his watch. They'd gotten back much earlier than was planned meaning that he could still go to Sunday dinner at his family's home if he wanted to. Quickly, he rose and picked up his keys from where he'd dropped them before sending a quick text to his mother to let her know that he was coming. He had to get out of there and his parents house was as good a place as any to pass the time before all hell broke loose.

"Is that you, Rick?" He heard his mother's voice ring out from the direction of the kitchen the minute he used his key to walk right into the house he'd grown up in. _Can't Buy Me Love_ was streaming through the home music system which was always tuned to an oldies playlist on Spotify for Sunday dinner.

"Yeah, mom. It's me." He started down the hallway toward the voice, but his mother met him halfway wearing her bright smile. Celine Grimes had just turned 60 the year before, but she looked years younger in her faded jeans and UGA t-shirt. Her dark, greying hair was pulled away from her face into a low bun. Everyone told him he had his mother's striking cerulean eyes and hers sparkled like jewels as she wrapped her arms around him. Rick held her tight before kissing the top of her head.

"Honey, I'm so glad you were able to make it! Where's Lori?" He closed his eyes and tried to keep his voice even as he answered.

"It's just me this week." His attempt at hiding his feeling from his mom failed because she took a step back out of their hug and eyed him suspiciously.

"Are you okay? You look tired, honey…" She continued peering at him through narrowed eyes like she was trying to see inside his soul so Rick released her and quickly turned away.

"I'm fine. It was a long drive, that's all. Is dad in the study?"

"He sure is. You go on in and say hello while I finish dinner. Your sister is supposed to be watching everything but she's on that phone texting someone every 2 minutes!" Having a pretty good idea who his sister was texting, Rick laughed to himself and leaned in to his mother.

"I think she has a new boyfriend…", he whispered conspiratorially, grinning at the way his mom's eyes widened in surprise.

"She didn't tell me! Oh, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" He'd thrown his sister under the bus and Rick watched as his mother disappeared into the kitchen to grill Maggie on the new man in her life knowing that would keep her busy for a while.

He continued moving toward the study and seeing that the door was cracked, he pushed it fully open and stepped inside. His father was sitting behind his large, oak desk typing away on his laptop. Rick knew he was probably writing up notes from the trial he was presiding over that week.

Phillip Grimes had been one of the best attorneys in Atlanta before he became a federal judge and Rick had always looked up to him. He'd become a lawyer because he'd always respected and admired his father. Even though he'd worked a lot during Rick's childhood, his dad had always been there. Whether it was help with his science homework, lessons on how to throw a perfect spiral, or advice about girls; his dad always made time for him.

"Hey, dad." He looked up and grinned when he saw his son. He closed his laptop and took his glasses off. While he had his mother's eyes, Rick thought he was looking into some kind of future telling mirror whenever he was face to face with his dad. Even his mother told him that he was a replica of his father in his younger years.

"Rick, hi! I didn't expect to see you this week! How was your trip?" He shrugged and sat in the chair across from his dad's desk.

"It was ok…how's the trial coming?" Rick replied with a shrug.

"Oh, you know…the prosecution rested their case on Thursday and we're picking up with the defense on Monday. It's going to be another long week."

"I'm sure…" He looked around he office a minute before turning his attention back to his father. "Can we talk, dad?" The smile left his father's face and his eyes filled with concern. If there was one thing Rick could say about his family, it's that they were always there for one another. He's never felt like there was anything he couldn't share with them and that was probably another reason he was currently standing in his father's study about to tell him about the demise of his relationship.

"I thought it looked like something was bothering you. What's wrong?"

"I'm dealing with some things and I just…I need to talk it out with someone."

"Ok…what's going on?" There was a short pause as Rick considered how to approach the conversation. He finally decided on a less than direct approach, just to give himself more time to really think about what he wanted to say.

"How did you know mom was the woman you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?", he asked, causing his dad to lean back in his chair as his lips curved into a broad smile.

"I think I knew it the day we met!" the older man answered with a laugh. "But I admitted it after my first year of law school. I spent all summer with her, and when it was time to go back to school, I realized that I couldn't face three months away from her. So, I proposed and she came back to Atlanta with me as my wife. "

"35 years and two kids later, here you are", Rick mused with a small smile. His voice brought his dad out of his memory and he refocused on Rick.

"That's right. Why do you ask? Are you finally going to ask Miss Lori to join our family?" Rick sighed and stared at the floor. His parents liked Lori. She'd always been on her best behavior when they were around. Nearly every week, she accompanied him to dinner at their house and played the role of the perfect girlfriend. Every week when they got home, she'd complain about having to go.

"No. I think it's over between me and Lori." He finally answered, watching as a mixture of shock and disbelief registered on his father's face.

"What? Why?", he sputtered, unable to hide his surprise.

"I don't feel that way about her. I don't love her like that", Rick shrugged and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"She's beautiful, smart, she comes from a good family…what's not to love?"

"She's also spoiled, controlling, and obsessed with being part of Atlanta society..." He didn't mean to, but his words came out with a sharp edge. His father opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by his mother entering the room carrying two tall glasses of iced tea.

"I thought you two would like a drink before dinner…" She must have seen the look of confusion on her husband's face and the tension that had weighted down her son's shoulders, and she stopped mid sentence. "Am I interrupting one of those father-son disagreements?"

"Not at all, darling. Your son was just telling me how he was about to break Lori's heart."

"What?" She handed them each a glass and perched on the edge of the desk facing Rick. Her expression wasn't one of shock like his dad's was. Instead, she only looked worried. "What's happened? You both seemed fine at dinner last Sunday."

"Nothing's happened. I just…I guess I realized that Lori and I aren't right for each other. She's pressuring me to get married…it's probably better that I realized this now rather than later." When his mother didn't immediately say anything, his father took the opportunity to restate his opinion.

"Celine, tell him he needs to think about this more before he does something he'll regret. If he lets her go now, he won't get her back." His mother rolled her eyes at his father's urging and waved off his comments.

"Phillip, please! Rick is our son!", she snapped, effectively silencing her husband. Then she continued, "If he doesn't love with that girl then he shouldn't be with her. It wouldn't be fair to either of them!" His father closed his eyes and dragged his fingertips across his forehead.

"I know that", he stated, "I'm just confused as to what brought this on. Like you said, they seemed fine at dinner last week!" With both of his parents staring at him, Rick took a deep breath and decided to tell them the truth.

"Things haven't been good with me and Lori for a while. We've both just gotten real good at hiding it from everybody. Then, I met someone who made me think that things could be better." He saw the ay his mother's eyes widened and the way her mouth fell open, and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Richard Andrew Grimes!", she exclaimed, "We did not raise you to be a philandering…" He didn't let her finish. He was a grown ass man and he couldn't stand his mother thinking less of him even if it was only for a few minutes.

"It's not what you think, mom! Nothing happened between us but I felt this connection with her after three conversations that I don't think I ever felt with Lori." She seemed to accept his explanation, however, his father wasn't done.

"You don't end your relationship because you're attracted to another know better than that!"

"You just said you knew mom was the one the day you met her.", he argued, watching his father's face pale as he used his own words to defuse his argument.

"It's not the same. Your mother and I were both single!" Celine turned to her husband with a raised eyebrow.

"Now, Phillip, you know that's not completely true. You'd been seeing Roberta Johnson and I was spending time with Paul Stephens…" Phillip started shaking his head.

"Celine…" Ignoring him, she turned back to Rick.

"What your father is saying, is that you've been with Lori a long time and that's a lot of history to throw away because of a woman you just met." Rick nodded, understanding what his parents were saying. He also knew that Michonne and his inexplicable attraction to her wasn't the reason he was breaking up with Lori. He was breaking up with Lori because he needed to do it for himself.

"I know that and it's not because of her…well, maybe it is in a round about way, I don't know. All I do know, is that Lori and I can't keep going like this. Both of us deserve better." His mother nodded and reached to squeeze his hand.

"Well, then…if this is the decision you're making, we're going to support you in it. You and Lori are the only two people who know what your relationship is really like and if you can't see a future with her, you should stop wasting her time and yours." He father rose from his seat behind the desk and walked over to rest a hand on Rick's shoulder.

"Your mother is right and I'm sorry for my initial reaction. This is just very unexpected even though you say it's been a long time coming."

"I get it dad. I know you both liked her…" his father shook his head and Rick felt the hand on his shoulder tighten supportively.

"We liked her because you seemed to love her. But if she's been making you miserable, I say good riddance to her. You're our son and we love you. The only person's happiness we care about in this situation is yours." His mother smiled at her husband and even Rick could see to love and pride shining in her eyes toward him. She reached out and grabbed his hand with her free one before turning back to Rick.

"What do you need from us, Rick? You know we're here for you." This was the part he wasn't looking forward to. He couldn't believe that as a 30 year old man, he was about to ask his parents if he could move back in with them.

"Actually…I was hoping you would let me stay here until I find a place. I promise it won't be very long…"

"Of course, Rick! When will you be moving in?"

"Probably tomorrow. I don't want to drag this out. It's going to be hard enough as it is." She nodded and squeezed his hand again.

"I'll make sure your old room is ready for you."

"Thank you mom." Suddenly, Maggie's panicked voice rang out from the kitchen, interrupting their conversation.

"Mom! I think the pork chops are on fire!" Celine shook her head, released their hands, and rose from her perch on the desk moving very quickly toward the doorway.

"Phillip, please call Antonio's and see if they can squeeze us in for 6:30.", she commanded, sending his dad springing into action, grabbing his phone and scrolling through the contacts. "Rick, please help me take care of things in the kitchen before your sister burns the house down." He stood and followed her through the doorway.

"And when you finally move past all this, make sure you invite this new girl over for dinner. I have to meet the woman who has inspired my son to change his entire life." Rick felt a blush creep across his face as the idea of introducing Michonne to his parents crossed his mind. They would love her, he knew it but he was getting way ahead of himself. He shook his head.

"I told you, it's not like that." She glanced over her shoulder, allowing him to see the smirk on her lips, and gave him a wink.

"Whatever you say, dear."

 _The Next Day_

Rick sat in his car in the driveway, his hands gripping the wheel until his knuckles turned white. Her car was already there letting him know that she was home and that his agonizing wait was almost over.

After going out to dinner with his family the night before, he'd returned home to find Lori still absent. In a way he'd been grateful that she wasn't there and he'd used that time to gather most of his clothes and other belongings into a few suitcases. After storing the packed bags, he'd gotten ready for bed in the spare bedroom assuming Lori would get home later, but she still hadn't been there when he got up for work the next morning.

He'd checked his phone for a missed call or text but there was none. A part of him started to worry; even though he didn't want to be with her, he didn't want anything to happen to her either. Another part of him knew how dramatic she could be, and was sure she'd just spent the night at her parent's house in an effort to make him suffer.

That part of him was proved correct when the alarm system at to condo alerted him that someone had disabled it not long after he'd left for work and the live camera feed to his phone showed her going through the front door. He wanted to leave work right then and get the whole thing over with but her couldn't. He had way too much work to catch up on after the long weekend. So he spent the day mostly chained to his desk and avoiding Shane's line of questioning about his and Lori's relationship status. He'd already told his parents what he was going to do and Rick didn't want anyone else to know before he had a chance to talk to Lori.

Now he was sitting in the driveway about to break up with his girlfriend. He opened the car door and was about to step out when he remembered something very important.

 _So game night at Hilltop starts at 7 Monday. Are you in?_

He looked at his watch and sighed miserably. It was already 6:30 and his current situation was definitely not going be resolved in time to make it to game night. His current situation had also dampened his mood and he was sure he wouldn't be good company after everything went down. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and started a new text to Michonne.

 _I'm sorry but something came up and I won't be able to make it to game night tonight. I'll just have to kick your ass next week._

He hit send and waited a few minutes for a response but none came. Annoyed at himself for not keeping his word, he dropped the phone back into his pocket and climbed out of the car, heading toward the home he'd shared with Lori for the last year. He was hyper aware of everything; from the sound of his footsteps on the cobblestone path leading to the front door, to the way his key sounded sliding into the lock. The door opened without a sound and he walked inside prepared to do battle.

"Hey baby! You're home early." Lori was sitting at the kitchen island flipping through a magazine. She greeted him with a smile before turning back to her magazine. Her behavior unsettled him; it was like they hadn't been fighting for two days. He shoved his keys into his pocket and walked fully into the kitchen.

"Hey…", he began, but she interrupted him before he could finish his thought.

"How does sushi for dinner sound?", she asked, without looking up from her magazine.

"We need to talk, Lori." He heard her release an annoyed sigh, but she still refused to look at him.

"Are you still on that?", she asked, the irritation coating her voice. "I just want to put all of that silliness behind us. We both acted like a couple of right assholes." He walked over and leaned against the counter facing her.

"It was more than that…" Finally, her head jerked up and he was met with her piercing glare.

"Look, Rick. I'm trying my best to not be mad at you anymore, but it's really hard after how you treated me Saturday night. And then you didn't even try to talk to me all day Sunday! You really took me to my wit's end but I forgive you." Rick felt his jaw twitch as she triggered him the way only she could. He felt his anger building and he took a deep breath in an attempt to temper it.

"So everything that happened is all my fault?"

"Of course not, but when I tried to apologize you shut me down." He shook his head and chuckled at her feigned innocence, but she continued. "Anyway…I've put all of that behind me and you should too. Now go on and get changed so we can go to dinner. I'm starving!" He was sure he blacked out for a second because his brain couldn't process what she was saying to him. he couldn't believe she could be so callous.

"Lori! We are not going out for sushi!" He barely registered that he was yelling until she stopped flipping through her magazine; staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"I know you did not just raise your voice to me, Rick Grimes…" He shrugged and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"Apparently, that's the only way to get you to listen to me." She rose from her seat and defensively folded her arms over her chest.

"Fine! What do you want to talk about? The fact that you ruined our anniversary? Maybe the fact that you've been stringing me along for five years?" The laugh escaped him before he could even think about holding it back.

"I never made you any promises about marriage. You know that. You're pissed at me because I didn't do something you made up!"

"You knew the plan!", she shouted, taking few steps toward him.

"I told you months ago that I'm not living my life according to a plan based on the expectations of your parents and friends. I thought we agreed that we would take those steps when it felt right for both of us!", he explained, his voice sounding eerily calm even to him. His calmness seemed to infuriate her even more.

"It's felt right for me for a long time! Everyone sees that we're perfect together except for you!" She spat those words at him, moving close enough that he could touch her if he wanted to.

"Everyone sees what we show them. They don't see that every thing I do irritates you, or that sometimes I work late because I don't want to come home…they definitely don't see that I've slept in the spare bedroom more than ours lately. So tell me how it could have possibly felt right to you?" He felt like he was explaining it all in a very simple way, but she still wasn't getting it.

"Those are just little things! Every couple goes through rough patches! It doesn't make them any less right for each other!"

"This is more than a rough patch and I hate feeling like this. I can't speak for you, but…the few moments of happiness…aren't enough to make up for the rest of it any more."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…it's over, Lori. It's been over for a long time and it's time we admit it."

"Rick…no! Baby, we can fix whatever is wrong with us!" Every word she spoke came off as saccharine to him and it was making him sick.

"We're not good for each other! I'm sorry but there's no fixing that." It was a simple statement but from Lori's expression, you would think he'd just explained a deep philosophical statement.

"I think you need to take a minute and get some rest because you're talking crazy right now. We are not breaking up tonight. That would be ridiculous!", she said, her voice shaking for the first time during their conversation.

"I'm going to stay with my parents for now and I'll have the rest of my stuff out of your way as soon as I can." She dropped her gaze to the floor and anxiously wrung her hands together.

"You can't do this to me," she started, before dragging her gaze back up at him wearing a shell-shocked expression. "We've been together too long for you to just end it like this over a silly fight!" He couldn't understand how she could reduce everything to a "silly fight".

"It's not just one silly fight. It's the dozens of silly fights we've had recently! I can't do it any more. It's not how I want to live my life." The emotionally charged environment was finally starting to get to him. He could feel his eyes stinging with tears.

"But we love each other", she argued and he nodded in basic agreement with her statement.

"I think we're still in love with the people we were when we were in college. We're not those people anymore." Tears immediately welled up in her eyes at his words and it did upset him. He didn't want to hurt her any more than he had to, but he had to make her understand.

"Are you saying you don't love me?" There was a long pause as he considered how to answer that question.

"I don't think either of us loves each other the way we should." His answer was diplomatic, but the stricken look in her teary eyes revealed how his words had hit her. "I'm not trying to hurt you…" He was silenced by the sting of her hand striking his face. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his cheek which was still warm from the slap. It hadn't really hurt; it just caught him off guard. He didn't think she cared enough to actually hit him.

"Oh, shut up! If you didn't want to hurt me you wouldn't be standing there saying these things! I can't believe you're doing this to me!" She was screaming in his face; tears pouring from her eyes. They needed distance so he pushed off the counter, brushing past her and took her previous spot on the other side of the island. She refused to give them that distance and followed him.

"Lori…"

"No! You don't get to talk anymore. It's my turn now. If you want to leave, go ahead and go. Just know that if you leave now, I'm never taking you back. Even if you realize that you completely fucked up tomorrow, it wouldn't matter. So you better be damn sure about walking out that door right now because I'll never let you back in." He sighed deeply, knowing that continuing that conversation wouldn't accomplish anything productive. It was over between them and she knew it so she was grasping at straws.

He retrieved his keys from his pocket, turned around and began walking toward the door, ignoring the shocked gasp he heard behind him.

"I'm not going to beg you to stay…", she recovered; her words dripping wth ice.

"I don't expect you to." He opened the door and was about to step out when he felt her hand on his arm.

"Rick…wait…" He jerked his arm out of her grasp and continued toward his car.

"Goodbye, Lori."

 **A/N:** I know this isn't the chapter you were expecting or the one I'd planned to write, but sometimes you gotta go where the story takes you. So…Rick is a free man! It needed to happen and I didn't want it to be just because of Michonne. He had to reach that decision on his own. Yes, she may have inspired it, but being with her wasn't his main motivation. I hope that makes sense…

We've spent a lot of time with Rick but we're going to spend some quality time with Michonne now. Yeah, I've missed her too. Until next time, thank you for reading and please review!

-Michelle


	8. Chapter 8 - Complications

**Not sure what happened so I deleted and reposted. Hopefully it works this time.**

 **A/N: Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! All of it really means a lot. Know that I read all of them and appreciate all the kind words and the criticism equally!**

 **Don't hate me…but what's a rom-com without a little conflict?**

 **Chapter Eight - Complications**

I'm sorry but something came up and I won't be able to make it to game night tonight. I'll just have to kick your ass next week.

Michonne read that text over and over again trying to dampen her disappointment over Rick not coming to game night. On a rational level, she knew it was for the best. Every conversation she had with the man whether it was in-person or over text made her like him a little bit more and that wasn't a good thing. He had a girlfriend and if she allowed herself to fall for him, it would only end badly. The rational part of her brain was shouting all of that to the rooftops, but the irrational part wasn't hearing it.

She was just about to answer his text and she wasn't sure if it was going to be a rational response when she saw Sasha walk through the door. Yes, Sasha was Glenn's friend first, but over the years they'd grown very close. She shoved the phone into her pocket and went over to greet her friend with a warm hug.

"Hey Sasha…" Before she could even get the words out, Sasha grabbed her arm and dragged her to a corner. "What the hell…" A nervous smile appeared on Sasha's lips as she started talking.

"Look, before Abe gets in here, I need to tell you something…" Michonne raised an eyebrow and immediately started to worry. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her friend this edgy and she couldn't believe that it had anything to do with Abe. Even though they seemed like the most unlikely couple, those two were so in love that it was almost sickening.

"What is it? Is everything ok?", she asked, bracing herself for the slight chance that the perfect image she'd created in her head about Sasha and Abe's relationship was completely flawed.

"Yeah, yeah…everything is fine it's just that someone else is going to be joining us tonight and don't be mad, but I invited him specifically to meet you." She felt the air rush out of her body as Sasha's words hit her like a truck. No wonder she was acting so nervous. If there was one thing Michonne hated it was being set up and Sasha knew that.

"You didn't!" Sasha nodded and her nervous smile faded into one of self-satisfaction even though she had to know that Michonne wanted to kill her with her bare hands.

"Listen, his name is Mike Anthony and he's been working with me at the CDC for a few months now but I wanted to make sure he was cool before I set him up with you. He's smart, funny, loves all of that arty stuff you like and he's also a fine specimen of a man if you get my drift…well built in all the right places!" The irritation escaped Michonne in the form of a deep sigh as she began to defiantly shake her head.

"Sasha…"

"So when I finally told him all about my smart, sweet, and hilarious friend who happens to be a straight dime he seemed very interested in stopping by." It took a minute but she finally gathered enough of her wits back to speak in coherent sentences.

"Why did you do that? You know I hate being set up!" Sasha narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip making Michonne feel like she was 10 years old and about to get fussed out by her mother.

"Michonne Bishop! When was the last time you dated anyone? Spencer was what? Two years ago?" Michonne cringed at the mention of his name. They'd dated for close to a year when he just decided that she wasn't good enough for him. He'd told her, "I need a woman who can enhance my political career and that's not you". She'd angrily thrown him out of her apartment almost as soon as the words left his mouth but that was mainly because she wasn't about to let him see how much he'd hurt her.

She folded her arms across her chest defensively and refused to meet Sasha's eye. "It was a year and a half ago and I've been on dates since then", she argued.

"Yeah, two. Two dates in a year and a half! Don't you miss it? Don't you miss sex?" Michonne felt her face growing hot. So what that it had been a while! She was fine! She didn't need a guy…especially one her friends set her up with out of pity.

"Oh my god…"

"No, I'm serious!", Sasha continued, "I'm not saying you need a man or anything but it is kinda nice not having to do everything yourself…especially that!"

"I'm not going to go have sex with some guy I just met!"

"I'm not telling you to! Just meet him! Flirt with him a little bit…and if you like him, see where it goes from there." Michonne shot her one last angry look before accepting her defeat. There wasn't much else she could do other than leave and knowing her bad luck, she'd probably run smack into he guy on her way out the door.

"You could've at least warned me!" she'd never been one to whine so even she was surprised at how how pitiful she sounded. Sasha must have heard it too because she immediately felt her hugging her tight.

"Now you know you wouldn't have showed up if I'd done that." Michonne laughed cynically at the truth in her words. "Don't hate me, Michonne. Spencer was a jackass. You deserve so much better and I just want to help you find it."

"Oh, I'm going to hate you at least until tomorrow morning." She felt Sasha's body shake with laughter before pulling away from their hug. Michonne had to admit that she had the best friends in the world even when they were blindsiding her with unexpected blind dates.

"I think you're going to really like him. Trust me."

"Ok…I guess I have to. Is he with Abe now?", she asked glancing down at herself to make sure she was presentable. She was wearing jeans and a yellow sleeveless blouse that she loved, making her more put together that she usually was for game night. She remembered picking that shirt because she thought he was coming…but he wasn't. She closed her eyes and tried to rid her mind of thoughts of Rick. Maybe Sasha setting her up with this guy was for the best. Maybe it would help her take her mind off of the one man she'd really wanted to get know since the debacle with Spencer. The one man she definitely couldn't have.

"Yeah, they're parking the car…there they are." Opening her eyes, Michonne followed Sasha's gaze to the front of the bar where she saw Abe walking past the window talking animatedly with another guy. They walked into the bar and she saw Abe scanning the room for his wife and when he found her, his face burst into a wide grin.

"There they are! Chonne! Get your ass over here and give me a hug, girl!" Michonne smiled broadly and stepped into the burly ginger's waiting arms. He squeezed her tight; lifting her from her feet as his wife rolled her eyes and watched in amusement.

"Abraham, try not to suffocate my girl, ok!" He lowered her to her feet and released her from his strong embrace.

"Sorry, darlin'! I'm just so damn happy to see her! It's been how long?" Michonne's head dropped shamefully. It had been entirely too long since she'd seen them. That was the first game night she and Glenn had actually been able to make in at least a month.

"Months…I'm sorry for that but you know me and Glenn have been killing ourselves getting the firm going…" Abe nodded but she could tell by the look on his face that her excuse wasn't quite cutting it with him.

"Sasha's been keeping me updated but it would be nice to hear it from the horse's mouth every now and then."

"I'm gonna do better!", she promised.

"I'm going to hold you to it.", he answered, reaching for his wife's hand. Michonne realized that she'd stalled long enough. Finally, she allowed her attention to fall on the man standing next to him. He was tall and like Sasha said, extremely fit. His dark jeans clung to his thighs and the t-shirt he wore stretched across his well-defined pecs. He kept his hair cut low, almost shaved, and he had an expertly edged mustache and beard. His soulful dark eyes pulled her in as they carefully studied each other.

"Michonne…this is Mike Anthony. He works with me at the CDC. Mike, this is Michonne Bishop."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mike." He took her extended hand in his and Michonne's furrowed her eyebrows he brought it up to his lips. She couldn't help but think he was being a little too extra with that move, but she shook those thoughts away and put the smile back on her face.

"You're even more beautiful than Sasha described…the pleasure is definitely all mine!" Michonne caught Sasha smiling in satisfaction before gently tugging on Abe's arm.

"We're going to go say hi to everyone and let you two get to know each other." She watched as her so-called friends walked away leaving her with her "date". His was the voice that brought her out of her thoughts.

"Did you know your friends were setting you up tonight?" He asked. She gave him her full attention and shook her head.

"No. Did you know it was a set up?" He gave her a wide, toothy grin and quickly nodded.

"Pretty much. Sasha's been talking about you for weeks but you know how set ups can go so I've been kinda blowing her off." Intrigued, Michonne had to ask the question that was floating around in her head.

"What made you finally give in?" He looked away and shrugged before shoving his hands deep into his pockets and turning back to her with a sheepish grin.

"Honestly? I saw you when you came for that meeting last week and I kicked myself for not listening to her sooner." Michonne tried not to let it bother her that he was only interested after confirming that she was indeed the "dime piece" Sasha had described.

"I'm sure that earned you some I told you so's from her…"

"Yeah, I was being an idiot and she gave me hell, but it was worth it to finally meet you." Even though she'd been on the sidelines for a while, Michonne had been around the block a few times and she'd met guys like Mike before. Smart, handsome, dripping with charm and a walking lexicon of all the right things to say to a woman. Those kinds of guys had never really been her type. But he'd come all the way there just to meet her and she couldn't just blow him off. If there was one thing Michonne wasn't, it was cruel.

She sighed deeply and glanced over to the table where Glenn was proudly introducing Maggie to Sasha and Abe. It'd only been a week and those two had already become mostly inseparable. Seeing him so happy made her happy too and it also forced her to see what could happen if she'd only take a chance. She turned her attention back to Mike and gave him small smile.

"Well…my friend Glenn is usually my spades partner but I think he's a little preoccupied tonight…think you got what it takes?" Mike burst into a wide grin and nodded.

"Oh yeah!" They turned to head over, and forgetting that there was a step there, Michonne tripped and would've hit the ground if not for Mike's quick reflexes. "Careful…I want to sweep you off your feet, but not like this."

"Are you always this smooth?", she asked with a laugh.

He turned to her with his eyes shining and whispered, "I guess you're going to have to get to know me and find out."

 **XX**

About two hours and a few games later, Michonne stood at the bar waiting for the two beers she'd ordered. Mike had offered to get them, but she'd insisted on going mainly because she needed the break. Her "date" was going as well as could be expected especially considering she wasn't expecting anything at all. Still, it felt like too much. Mike's spit game was strong and he took every chance he could to drop lines on her. That was one of the main problems. Even if he was being sincere, every word out of his mouth felt like a line. But maybe that was just her.

Aside from that, he was everything Sasha had described and any woman would be glad to be set up with him. For some reason that she pretended not to know but really just didn't want to admit, Michonne just wasn't feeling it or him. Sasha had been giving her dirty looks all night to the point where sweet, oblivious Glenn even noticed and asked what was going on with them. That was a lot, especially considering how wrapped up in Maggie he was.

Jesus appeared in front of her holding her beers with his long brown hair pulled up in a man bun and his bright blue eyes sparkling. Everyone just called him Jesus because of his long brown hair and beard, but his real name was Paul and he was the owner of the place. She'd been coming there with her friends for so long that he could be considered one of their friends too and Jesus was a new age kind of guy who always had something meditative and inspiring to say.

"Here are your Hilltop Brown Ales, madam."

"Thank you…"

"You're welcome…so who's the guy?", he asked tipping his chin toward the table where the group was. She took a deep breath before answering.

"That's Mike. Sasha ambushed me with a blind date." Jesus raised an eyebrow and his lips curved into an appreciative grin.

"Well…at least you were ambushed by a sexy blind date!" Michonne had to laugh at that one. "So how's the date going?"

"He's ok…horrible at spades though." A deep laugh escaped Jesus as he leaned across the bar to rest his chin on his palm.

"Demerit!" She smiled, but she glanced back at the table where Mike was laughing with Abe about something, and sobered quickly.

"Exactly…but other than that…he's ok." A frown crossed Jesus's face as his eyes searched her face for clues to what was happening in her head.

"That's not exactly a glowing review!"

"I know! I'm trying…it's just…I don't know…", she sighed, unable to meet his stare.

"Yes you do. Come on…tell Jesus all about it. Don't worry, we have bartender-client privilege." He persuaded with a sincere smile and there was something about Jesus that made her want to open up to him.

"You know that spark you get when you meet someone you may be interested in?" She began and he immediately started to nod.

"Oh yeah…it's like fireworks made out of butterflies are being shot off inside of you."

"Yeah…", she agreed. "I'm not feeling that with him, but I did feel it with a guy I met last week…" His jaw dropped and she felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Spill!", he pressed, but she knew it wasn't because he wanted to know all of her business. It was because he genuinely cared.

"There's nothing really to spill. We met, I felt the butterfly fireworks and something tells me he did too, but he has a girlfriend." He shook his head and squeezed her hand which was resting on the bar.

"Ouch…that seriously sucks. I'm sorry, Michonne.", he empathized.

"Me too. The problem is, now that I know that kind of spark actually exists and I've experienced what it feels like, I want it…"

"…And it's not there with Mr. Blind Date", he said, finishing her sentence for her. She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Just because it's not there with him, doesn't mean it's not going to be there with someone."

"I know…"

"But the real problem is the fact that you're hung up on a guy you can't have." She opened her eyes to find Jesus looking at her like he could see into her soul. She found that under his intense scrutiny, she couldn't deny it.

"Isn't it ridiculous? I honestly can't believe this is my life right now. I mean, I just met him! If Sasha had introduced me to Mike last week, we wouldn't even be having this conversation." Jesus shrugged and she could see the wheels turning behind his eyes.

"Lightning strikes without warning. There was nothing you could've done to stop it." She heard what he was saying and she saw the truth in it but it didn't resolve her issue.

"So what do I do now? I have a perfectly good guy waiting for me over there, but I'm not into it because there's no fireworks made out of butterflies." He stroked his beard in thought as he considered his reply.

"Whatever is meant to be will be but don't put yourself on hold waiting for what you think is supposed to happen. Life is way too short for that." It sounded simple, but it was exactly what she needed to hear to get her out of neutral. She smiled at Jesus and squeezed his hand.

"You're right. Thanks, Jesus." A wide smile appeared on his face and he gave her a kiss on the cheek before straightening to his full height.

"You're welcome…and tell Sasha she can set me up with a hot guy she works with anytime!", he said with a wink. She picked up the beers with a grin and turned to go back to the table.

"I'll pass that along!" She was almost there when she ran into Glenn and Maggie. "No! You guys aren't leaving are you?"

"Yeah, Maggie has an early class tomorrow and I'm not as young as I used to be."Glenn explained with an apologetic smile.

"Fine! I'm sure we're not too far behind you." Suddenly, she found herself wrapped in a slightly drunk Maggie's arms.

"Thank you for almost breaking my brother's ankle! If you hadn't, I probably wouldn't have met Glenn and he's the best!" Michonne laughed to herself on the inside and graciously returned the hug.

"You're welcome?" Maggie took a step back and her supermodel smile was pasted on her face.

"Rick is such a dumbass! You're so much cooler than the Basic Barbie he's dating…" Glenn's eyes grew wide and this time, Michonne couldn't hold in the laugh.

"Ok, Maggie! Let's go…" Glenn interrupted by gently draping his arm over Maggie's shoulders and they starting moving toward the door again. He looked back over his shoulder and gave Michonne a smile. "See you at the office tomorrow." She nodded and smiled back.

"I'll be there!" She watched them exit the bar before continuing her journey to the table. Mike looked up and gave her an appreciative once over as she handed him his beer.

"There you are! I thought you got lost.", he said with a sly grin.

"I was talking to Jesus." She offered, forgetting for a moment that he had no clue what she was talking about. The look on Mike's face was one of extreme confusion and both Abe and Sasha burst out laughing.

"Jesus is the bartender", Sasha explained and Mike nodded as understanding dawned on him.

"Oh…I was lost for a minute there. I mean…I'm all about religion but that would be a little strange, you know?" That time Michonne joined their laughter as she sat in the chair next to Mike who absently draped his arm across the back of her chair before turning back to the conversation.

The rest of the night was much of the same; the games had ended so it was just conversation until everyone finished their beers. Michonne made herself really pay attention to Mike and she found that he was more than ok. He was smart, funny, and attentive to her whenever she spoke. He would casually touch her whenever he could, leaving no question in her mind about his attraction to her. While she still wasn't there, she had to admit that after she'd given him a real chance she found him more interesting.

After about another half hour, and after paying their checks, Abe yawned and squeezed Sasha's shoulder.

"It's getting pretty late and I've got to get this little lady home before it's too late to make the Bisquick…" Michonne's eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her amusement.

"Abraham!", Sasha exclaimed, hitting him kind of hard on his thigh. Abe only laughed and shrugged.

"Sorry, darlin' but it's true!" Sasha rolled her eyes and looked to Michonne.

"Oh lord, let me get this man home because he definitely doesn't know how to act in public! Give me the keys, Abe!" They all rose from the table and started walking as a group toward the door, Abe and Sasha detouring toward the bar to say good night to Jesus. She and Mike continued outside to wait.

Once on the sidewalk, Mike turned to her wearing that smooth grin of his and she knew what was coming.

"I really had a good time with you tonight, Michonne," he said with a smile and Michonne returned his smile with one of her own.

"Yeah…me too…even though you might just be the worst spades partner I've ever had!", she teased causing him to laugh self-deprecatingly.

"Come on! You're never gonna let me live that down are you?" She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head with a shrug.

"I can't believe you've never played joker, joker, ace!" He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"My people play kings high, no jokers!" She shook her head as his explanation, not quite buying his excuses.

"Maybe next time we should play Uno…" His jaw dropped but after a moment he laughed at her insinuation that he needed to play a kid's game.

"Oh you are so wrong! Imma get you for that one!"

"What? Are you going to make me be your spades partner again?"

"Man, you're cold!" She laughed loudly at his description and nudged him with her shoulder.

"I'm just playing with you…kinda." For the first time that evening, she felt completely comfortable with him. It was like he was showing her a glimpse of who he was behind all of the smoothness.

"So…you said next time…does that mean you're going to give me your number so I can take you out sometime…this Friday hopefully?" The smoothness was back, but it wasn't quite as blatant and Michonne decided that maybe she should give him another chance.

"Sure…", she answered with a little nod and by the smile that appeared on his face, you'd think he'd just won the lottery. He pulled out his phone with a victorious smile and handed it to her to input the digits. After inputting the numbers, she handed it back to him.

"That's what's up…I'll text you with the details."

"Alright." Just then, Sasha and Abe came out of the bar and she walked right up to Mike and handed him the keys to their car.

"I'm going to drive but do you mind going to get the car with Abe?My feet are killing me in these shoes!" Mike nodded and took the keys from her. Michonne watched as he and Abe started off toward the garage, waiting until they were far enough away to turn to Sasha with a raised eyebrow and a frown. "Could you be any more obvious?"

"What? I needed to talk to you in private!"

"I know. I think Mike and Abe know that too."

"Whatever…so, it started off a little rough but it looked like you two hit it off…" Michonne released the breath she was holding and nodded slowly.

"I'm going out with him Friday night." She couldn't believe it, but Sasha actually did a little happy dance right there on the sidewalk.

"Oh yeah! I knew you'd want to get with him! The man is fine!"

"Yeah…I guess", she answered with a noncommittal shrug. Sasha's jaw dropped.

"You guess?! Are you blind?!" Of course Michonne could see that the man was fine and he had a lot of good qualities, but there was something missing but she didn't think Sasha would understand.

"No! I'm going out with him aren't I?", she offered, but it didn't change the skeptical expression on Sasha's face.

"Yeah, but you don't seem to excited about it…" Not having the time or the inclination to get into her true motivations and fears, Michonne chuckled and waved her hand dismissively

"You know me, Sash. I'm just overthinking things as usual." Sasha rolled her eyes and pulled her in for a hug.

"Well stop thinking and start living!", she whispered. Knowing that Sasha only wanted the best for her, Michonne hugged her back tightly and decided to give her a little something.

"I'm going to try. I promise." she conceded, making Sasha squeeze her a little tighter.

"That's all I ask." At that moment, Mike and Abe pulled up in their SUV. Mike got out and walked back over to where they were standing as Sasha released her. "Do you need a ride home?"

"Nah, my Uber will be here any minute.", she answered with a slight shake of her head. Sasha walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat, leaving her and Mike sanding on the sidewalk.

"Ok then, bye girl! Call me!", She called out with a wave.

"Bye Sash!" Abe rolled down the window and stuck his head out.

"What? No love for me, Chonne?" She laughed and walked over to plant a quick kiss on Abe's cheek.

"Bye, Abe!" The window went back up and effectively gave her and Mike as privacy as you could get on a street in Buckhead at 11pm. A nervous feeling started to brew inside of her when she felt him gently take her hand in his and give it a gentle squeeze.

"Good night, Michonne," he said quietly, giving her one of those looks that could only be described as wanting. "I'm gonna be looking forward to seeing you again all week."

She smiled at him nervously, trying to figure out exactly how to respond. He must have taken her silence as her being stuck speechless by him and her eyes widened as she realized that he was leaning in closer to her like he was going to try to kiss her. She contemplated the sheer boldness of that move for a second too long, leaving her only a brief moment to quickly offer her cheek instead. Just as quickly as his lips touched her face, she was pulling her hand out of his and taking a step away from him. She was willing to try, but she wasn't willing to go that far. Not yet anyway.

In her periphery, she saw her Uber pull up behind Sasha's car and she stepped around Mike to head toward the car.

"Good night, Mike." She climbed into the back of the Uber and saw Mike climbing into the back of Sasha and Abe's vehicle. As the car pulled away from the curb, she leaned her head back against the seat and released a sigh that fittingly punctuated the evening she'd had. Even though it hadn't been what she was expecting, she was filled with hope that it would be the first step toward getting over the unavailable man who haunted her dreams.

 **XX**

 **Uh-oh… what is Michonne going to do when she finds out that Rick broke up with Lori? What is Rick going to do when he finds out about Mike? More importantly, can Michonne respect a man who sucks at spades? Things are starting to get juicy! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Revelations

**A/N: Ok finally back! Sorry for the delay but life and my job got in the way a little bit. Thank you for hanging in there and for all of the follows, faves, and reviews! It really means a lot to me. Please keep them coming! I'm still setting up a few things but I think you guys will be happy with the turn things are about to ease into! :)**

 **Chapter Nine - Revelations**

Michonne moved her hips in time with the pounding beat of the music pumping from the bar's speakers. It was Friday night and she was with Maggie at a bar she'd never been to before waiting for Glenn to show up. It was supposed to be a group outing to celebrate them winning the CDC contract but Sasha and Abe had canceled at the last minute because Sasha wasn't feeling well and Glenn was caught in traffic.

"Glenn says he's 10 minutes away…" Michonne looked up at Maggie and smiled apologetically.

"You know…I think I'm just going to call an Uber and go home…" Before she could even get the words out, Maggie was emphatically shaking her head. She continued speaking before Maggie could say anything. "Abe and Sasha aren't going to make it and that's going to turn this into a date night for you and Glenn instead of a friends night." Maggie defiantly shoved her phone into her pocket and reached across the table to squeeze her hand.

"We can still celebrate with just the three of us!" Getting to know Maggie had been a blessing over the last few weeks. Every moment she spent with her helped her see why Glenn had fallen so hard and so fast for her. She was a sweetheart but she was also whip smart and unafraid to challenge him. Maggie was exactly what he needed to push him out of his comfort zone and it seemed like he was exactly what she needed to keep her grounded.

The best part was that she accepted the relationship between her and Glenn without question. That had always been a secret fear of hers; that one day Glenn would fall in love with some woman who didn't appreciate the fact that his best friend was a woman. Maggie was just the opposite. She accepted it but didn't try to force herself into it and Michonne appreciated that greatly…anyway they were quickly becoming friends in their own right.

"We can celebrate another night! You and Glenn deserve a date night." Maggie sighed deeply and Michonne could tell that having an unexpected date night with Glenn was very appealing to her.

"At least stay until he gets here? It'll give us a chance to talk a little bit." Happy that she'd given in and that she would be able to go home and binge watch a couple more episodes of Lovesick on Netflix, Michonne broke into a wide grin.

"Of course! Like I'd leave you alone here", she said.

Maggie smiled brightly and lifted her martini glass to her lips.

"So…are you still going out with that guy…Mike?" Michonne laughed to herself and took a drink from her own glass.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?", asked Michonne.

"Glenn could be here any minute so I'm making the most of my time with you", she answered with a grin.

"We've been out on a couple of dates but I think I'm going to end it", she explained and Maggie's eyes widened at the news.

"Really? Why?" Michonne took another sip of her drink and pondered Maggie's question. She'd second-guessed going out with him almost since the minute she'd accepted his offer at game night, but the date had actually gone well. He'd turned down the arrogance and she'd been able to see why Sasha had thought they'd get along.

Along with being extremely good looking, he was smart, cultured, and his casual observations about life made her laugh. The date surprised her and made her think that she'd been wrong about him. So when he'd asked to see her again, she'd accepted, even though she still had the nagging feeling that something was missing.

The second date was more of the same. He'd taken her to a nice dinner, where they'd shared nice conversation and even exchanged a nice kiss at the end of the night. But when he'd texted her the next day to see about seeing her again, she'd promised to get back to him when she wasn't so busy. In reality, she knew she didn't want to see him again and was struggling with how to tell him that. She'd been given a short reprieve from having to see him by a business trip to DC. He'd left Wednesday and wasn't due back until Sunday.

Two dates had proved that her lack of chemistry with him was real and not a result of her comparing him to someone else in her mind. When he'd kissed her, there was absolutely nothing there and Michonne couldn't bring herself to try with him any more. He was a nice guy when he wasn't being cocky but he wasn't for her in any way, shape, or form.

The situation was complicated by the fact that Mike had just been made manager of the CDC project that had just been awarded to Bishop and Rhee. So even if she did cut him loose, she wouldn't be free of him. She was going to have to see him nearly every day for the next nine months to a year. Yeah. Sasha owed her one. Big time.

Complicating things even more were still her lingering thoughts regarding Maggie's brother. She hadn't heard from him in nearly three weeks but his memory was fresh in her mind. She'd done her best to keep him from her thoughts while she was with Mike, but when she was alone those thoughts rushed back in.

She wanted to ask Maggie about him but she couldn't figure out a way to do it without being suspicious and Maggie never brought him up to give her an opening. She figured he was off living his best life with his girlfriend and had completely forgotten about the girl who'd run him over in the bookstore. That thought tormented her more than anything else; the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about him while he never thought about her.  
She turned her attention back to Maggie.

"It's just not going to work out." Maggie's lips curved into a grin as she nodded and tucked a few strands of her wavy brown hair behind her ear.

"Well, the right guy is out there for you. I'm sure of it!" Michonne had to laugh at the younger woman's certainty.

"How are you so sure?" Maggie shrugged at Michonne's question like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because you're amazing and…" Maggie's voice trailed off as she pulled her pone from her pocket and Michonne saw a coy smile appear on her lips. "Glenn's here…I'm going to meet him at the door. Can you wait here and hold the table for us?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Michonne!" Maggie gave her a quick hug before she dashed away from the table, leaving her alone with her drink and her thoughts. Her phone buzzed and she looked down at the screen to see a text from Mike.

 **Mike: DC is so boring. I can't wait to get back to Atlanta and you.**

She exhaled deeply and tried to think of the right way to answer him. She didn't want to end things via a text and she also didn't want to give him hope about the two of them being anything more than they already were.

 **Michonne: Can we get together for coffee when you get back on Sunday?**

 **Mike: Definitely! I'll text you when I get back.**

 **Michonne: See you then.**

She turned off the notifications on her phone and slid it into her purse so she wouldn't be tempted to keep texting him. She'd just made a date to essentially break up with him, so she didn't want to give him the wrong idea. Rubbing her forehead, she finished the rest of her drink and hoped Glenn and Maggie returned to the table quickly so she could go home to Netflix and chill with herself.

 **XX**

"So how's it feel? You've been a single man for almost three weeks now…" Shane asked, slapping Rick on his back as he slid him another beer. It was his first night out since the break up and it seemed like Shane was hell bent on getting him more drunk than he'd ever been in his life. They'd gone for burgers at their favorite place after work and now they were at a random bar in Buckhead enjoying a couple of beers and conversation.

"…and all I've had time to do is search for a place to live so I can move what's left of my shit out of the condo before Lori burns it all." Rick answered with a shrug before taking a drink from his beer.

"The window may have already closed on that that one, man. Have you talked to her?" Rick couldn't keep the incredulous look from his face at Shane's question.

"God, no…the hate texts she keeps sending is more than enough." Rick wasn't kidding about that one. Every day he'd receive at least five texts letting him know in no uncertain terms that he was an asshole and she hated him.

Shane released a low chuckle and cocked his head to one side, his lips curving into an easy grin.

"Well, I've got a front row seat to the Rick Grimes is an asshole meetings and wow…how the hell did you deal with that day in and day out for as long as you did? I mean…she is a special kind of awful", he said and Rick sighed as his fingers began to absently tear at the label on his beer bottle. He could almost picture Lori and Andrea sitting around with a bottle of wine and completely dragging his name through the mud.

"Look, I'm sorry for putting you in this position. Andrea and Lori are friends and…"

"Aww, man…it's fine. Was Andi pissed when I told her I was going out with you tonight? Sure, but she'll get over it. We've been friends way too long to let women come between us…even if one of 'em is my wife."

"Thanks."

"That's what friends are for. Eventually, Andi will realize that Lori is a hateful bitch and it won't be a problem any more…I still don't get why it took you so long to see it."

"Yeah, well…she wasn't like that before…and then she wasn't like that all the time…" He reasoned; his upbringing forcing him not to say anything bad about Lori even though Shane's description was extremely accurate. Shane started laughing as he finished off his beer.

"In other words, she hit you with the okie doke, and you fell for it." Shane's summary was simple but it wasn't too far from the truth. He'd been swindled from the moment she'd shown up on his doorstep in New Orleans and he'd been too lonely for too long to see it. "Don't beat yourself up over it. It happens to the best of us…did you find a place yet?" Shane's voice pulled him out of his head and shook his head as he finished off his beer.

"Not yet, but the realtor I met last week called with more listings to show me tomorrow." The house hunt hadn't gone well the week before. The realtor kept showing him very nice condos in the city but none of them felt right. They were all a little bit too sterile and while he didn't know exactly what he was looking for, he knew it wasn't that.

Shane nodded and kept drinking.

"Still sure you want to buy?" Rick paused for a moment as he considered Shane's question. Originally, he'd planned to just find an apartment but his parents not so subtly dropped a few hints that he should think about buying.

"Yeah. It's time I think. If I own a home, I'll never be homeless again, right?" Shane nodded and clinked the neck of his beer bottle against Rick's.

"You're just making all kinds of life changing decisions this week!" Rick scratched at the stubble he'd allowed to get a little more out of control than he ever did, and laughed to himself.

"It's long overdue. It's like I've been in a coma or something and now that I'm awake, I'm going to do my best to make up for lost time." Shane slapped him on the shoulder again as he rose from the barstool.

"I'm gonna hit the head and grab us something harder. We've got to celebrate!" Shane disappeared, leaving Rick alone and grateful for the respite however short it was probably going to be. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead to fight away the headache that he felt coming on.

While he wasn't feeling regret over ending things with Lori, the week had been tough on him. His life had been upended and he wasn't exactly sure how to move forward. For the first time in years, there were no expectations on him and no one was making plans for him. As soon as he wasn't living with his parents any more, he'd be completely free and that was something he was looking forward to for multiple reasons.

He thought he caught a glimpse of one of those reasons when he glanced around the bar looking for Shane. From the first minute he had a chance to breathe, Michonne was on his mind, so when he saw her standing at a table across the bar, he'd almost thought she was a figment of his imagination. It wasn't until he recognized the woman standing next to her as his own sister that he believed she was real.

He took a minute to take her in and silently thank whatever had inspired Shane to pick that bar for their night out. It was the first time he was allowed to look at her without feeling guilty for the way she made him feel. Her short, hot pink dress hugged all of her curves; leaving her shoulders and most of her long legs bare. He still couldn't understand how she could be so klutzy in a pair of flats but able to walk perfectly in sky high heels. He smiled at the strange dichotomy that seemed to make her even more captivating to him.

He'd wanted to call her every day for the last two weeks but something kept stopping him. Maybe it was because he wasn't ready or maybe he only thought he wasn't ready because of some antiquated notion that there should be some kind of mourning period after a relationship ended. Either way, he hadn't called or texted her and he'd instructed his sister not to tell her that he no longer had a girlfriend. He felt like that was something she should only hear from him.

Maggie had no problem calling him an idiot and letting him know that her friends had set her up with some guy. That news had nearly sent him running to her office to tell her everything but he'd held himself back. It was too soon and he had to at least try to get his shit together before dragging her into it. So that's what he'd spent the last three weeks doing…that and trying not to think about the sobering possibility that she could be moving on.

"Rick…earth to Rick!" He blinked out of his thoughts to find that Shane had returned to their small table with more drinks and a curious expression in his dark eyes. "What's got you all hypnotized?"

"Nothing…" Shane frowned and Rick could tell he was trying to track his gaze for himself. He knew the exact moment he figured it out because Shane slid his drink over to him and punched his arm.

"Never mind, I think I can see for myself. Who's the girl talking to Maggie?" Rick groaned and thought about lying to Shane but if he knew anything at all about his best friend, it was that the man was like a dog with a bone when he wanted to know something. That usually resulted in something embarrassing happening so it would be better for everyone if he just came clean.

"Her name is Michonne", he answered, careful not to volunteer any information. If Shane wanted to know, he was going to have to pull it out of him.

Unfortunately, Shane also knew this game and by the mischievous twinkle in his eye, Rick could tell he was more than willing to play.

"How do you know her?"

"She's the woman who ran me over at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago." Shane's eyes widened and Rick followed his gaze to Michonne who was laughing with Maggie. Her smile could literally light up a room and Rick was quickly becoming lost in her again; so much so that he almost didn't hear Shane when he started talking again.

"Seriously?! Her?! No wonder you weren't too upset about that sprained ankle! She's…wow!" His pitiful charade hadn't been working anyway so Rick gave it up and continued to stare at the gorgeous woman who'd been haunting his thoughts since the day they met.

"She's something else alright…beautiful inside and out." He felt Shane's stare burning the side of his face and he knew what was coming.

"Holy shit! I know that look! You like her!" Rick quickly turned his back on Michonne and gave his full attention to his friend.

"Shane…" The humor left Shane's features and was replaced by a look of shock.

"Is she the reason you broke up with Lori?" Rick quickly shook his head.

"No! I broke up with Lori because we'd run our course and I should've done it a long time ago", he denied. Shane raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"But she's the reason you finally realized it!" If anything, Shane was a good lawyer and he'd effectively cross examined him with ease.

"Maybe…", Rick offered, taking a drink of his whiskey.

"Well…if you like her, you better do something about it soon because some pretty boy is over there chatting her up." Rick's heart dropped and his head spun around like it was on a swivel and he frowned when he saw that it was still just Michonne and Maggie. Shane's loud, amused laugh alerted him to the fact that he'd been had. "Your head spun around so fast it made my head spin!"

"Asshole…", he frowned, but he couldn't deny the anxiety he felt at the thought of seeing Michonne with another guy. Shane had absolutely no idea just how deeply his little joke had cut him.

"Go talk to her." He wrinkled his eyebrows and looked at Shane.

"It's too soon. It's only been two weeks since I broke up with Lori…" His friend shrugged and brought his glass to his lips.

"So what? That girl is fire! If you don't make a move some other guy will and then you'll be beatin' yourself up over it for the rest of your life."

"I don't know…", he began, his brain trying it's best to talk him out of doing exactly what Shane was suggesting; the one thing he really wanted to do. His friend slapped him on the back and smirked.

"Look, Maggie just walked away. I'll make sure she gives y'all time to talk." Shane picked up his drink and started walking in the direction that he'd seen Maggie disappear in.

"Why do you care so much?", he called after him. Shane stopped moving and looked over his shoulder wearing a cocky grin that he should have patented.

"Because I ain't ever seen you look at a woman the way you're looking at her. Now take some liquid courage, get your ass over there, and get your girl!" Rick took a deep breath, picked up his glass and downed what was left in there in one gulp; his eyes never leaving her back. The heat of the liquor burned his chest, warmed his cheeks, and helped push him across the bar to her. He had no idea how the next few minutes were going to go but despite that uncertainty, he was eager to be in her presence again.

He slowly approached her, taking the time to fully appreciate her near perfect form. The closer he got, the less he cared about how little time had passed since his break up or the possibility that she might be seeing someone. He was going to tell her everything that had happened in the last three weeks and ask her to go out with him. No matter how it turned out, he could never regret doing anything that, even for a moment, brought him closer to her.

 **XXX**

Michonne sighed to herself and wondered what was taking Maggie so long to come back with Glenn and their drinks. She'd already decided that she'd have a drink with them and then leave. She didn't want to be the third wheel and they were so cute together that it was almost sickening. While Michonne loved Glenn dearly and was beginning to feel that way about Maggie too, she couldn't stand to be witness to their love bubble without anyone else as a buffer. There wasn't enough alcohol in the world to help her survive that.

"Michonne?" His voice sent a tremor of recognition through her body and when she turned around to find Rick standing there, her breath caught in her throat. He was more dressed down than she'd ever seen him; his black polo shirt and dark jeans making him look like an extra from a Lands End catalog. The only things that didn't quite fit with that image was his dark hair that still curled up at his collar and around his ears; and the scruff on his face that was quickly turning into a full blown beard. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and she noticed that he wore half a smile as she basked in the warmth of his gaze.

"Rick...hi! Maggie didn't tell me you were coming tonight…", she greeted, shaking herself out of the spell he had her under from just being in his presence.

"I didn't know you were going to be here tonight…", he answered with a shrug, "I'm here with my friend Shane having a guys night. How've you been?"

"I'm good…busy with work and about 800 other things…how about you?" His eyes left hers for the first time since they started talking and there was a long pause before he answered her question.

"It's been an...interesting...few weeks...to say the least." When he looked up at her, there was a hint of something she couldn't quite place behind his eyes but before she could say anything, he spoke again. "I'm sorry…again…for missing game night. I really wanted to come but these last few Mondays…" She shook her head and and waved her hand dismissively causing his words to just trail off.

"It's ok, stuff happens! Maybe you can make it to the next one." She watched as a slow smile appeared on his lips and he cleared his throat as he took a step closer to her.

"I hope so…because getting to know you better is something I'm very interested in." Michonne's brain slowed to a crawl as the spell he had her under strengthened. The heat between them was palpable and they way he was looking at her only made it worse. He was openly flirting with her and as much as she wanted to throw caution to the wind and flirt back, she couldn't. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, steeling herself to break the spell and do the right thing.

He was still smiling at her when she opened her eyes and it almost made her reconsider shutting him down, but she had to do it. She wasn't going to be his girl on the side. It wasn't who she was and she was disappointed that he'd turned out to be the kind of guy who would ask her to be.

"Rick…", she began, "I think we both know that there's an…attraction…between us but you're with someone and I…" She felt his fingers gently brush her arm and it halted her words. That look she hadn't been able to identify earlier was back in his eyes, but it didn't completely extinguish the fire that burned in them too.

"I ended things with my girlfriend." His revelation nearly knocked her off her feet. "I probably should've opened with that." His joke hung in the air between them as she tried to process what his words meant and even in her shocked state, she came to only one conclusion. The barrier between them was gone.

Almost as soon as she allowed herself to be a little happy about the fact that the man she was interested in was single, she was bombarded with the thought that she could somehow she could be responsible for it. If she felt whatever it was between them, he had to have felt it too. Even though it was something she wanted, she'd never wanted to get in the middle of someone else's relationship.

The weight of her even having a small role in the dissolution of his relationship began to settle on her shoulders and she took a step back and folded her arms across her middle causing his hand to slide off her arm.

"What? That's...I'm sorry." He shook his head and exhaled deeply before speaking.

"It was for the best. Things hadn't been right with us for a long time and I finally realized that we both deserve better." He didn't elaborate any further, but the simplicity of his explanation made her recognize the honesty in his words. Something in his voice told her that his break up was the result of the relationship running its course and she felt a little bit lighter.

"Are you ok?" He nodded quickly and graced her with another one of his smiles.

"I'm good…" She raised an eyebrow, drawing an amused laugh from him. "…really. I'm just ready to move on with my life."

"Well…it's only been a few weeks and break ups can be weird. One minute you think you're fine and the next you're eating a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting." Her joke fell flat this time and he only stared at her.

"Michonne…I know what you're doing."

"What?"

"I know I'm coming out of a relationship and I understand your hesitation about that…" She shook her head, upset at the fact that he was able to read her so easily.

"Rick…" Ignoring her, he took a step forward invading her space once again. They were standing so close that she could feel the warmth radiating off his body and she wanted to stay there despite her concerns.

"That…attraction you mentioned? I felt it too. I still do. I don't want to miss out on whatever it is between us." Her emotions were at war inside of her. She knew that if she allowed herself to go down that path with him, she was going to fall hard for him and that scared her. The last time she'd fallen hard for a guy, he'd left her devastated. Rick had the potential to do the same thing, especially if he really wasn't ready.

She looked up and got lost in the ocean of his eyes and she resigned herself to the only possible decision she could make. She reached for his hand and and gently squeezed it in her own.

"I can't be your rebound." He smiled and slowly shook his head, looking at her like that was the silliest thing he'd ever heard.

"You could never be that", he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We can take this as slow as you want to." She smiled brightly and nodded her agreement.

"Good because I want to take my time getting to know you better."

"Me too. You know…I've spent the last two weeks trying to figure out how to have this conversation with you." She couldn't hide how taken aback she was by his confession.

"Really?" He nodded as a slightly self-conscious smile danced on his lips.

"Yeah…I made Maggie swear not to say anything to you about what was going on with me and I kept waiting for it to feel like I had my life together before I called you." She was flattered by his honesty and by the value he put on what she thought of him.

"Is your life together?" He shook his head and laughed to himself.

"Not in the slightest! I mean, if it wasn't for my parents, I'd be kind of homeless right now. Not the ideal situation when you're trying to get a date with a woman who looks as beautiful as you do in that dress." She released his hand and blushed at his compliment.

"I've been there. Glenn was my savior in my time of need and I bought my townhouse shortly after."

"I'm looking to do the same thing. I went out with my realtor last weekend but nothing she showed me was right. I'm meeting her again tomorrow but I don't think she gets me." She wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion. He was talking about buying a house and he sounded absolutely miserable about it.

"Looking at places was my favorite part! The neighborhoods, the architecture…all of it should be representative of who you are and what you want out of life." She was geeking out and she knew it but she didn't care. Ever since she was a kid, she loved looking at houses. It was probably what made her want to be an architect. Sometimes she would go to open houses on weekends just to lose herself in the architecture, the character, and the neighborhoods of Atlanta.

She could tell her enthusiasm wasn't lost on him by the smile on his face and the amusement in his eyes.

"That coming from the architect!" She laughed and tried to reign herself in.

"I'm sorry! I get a little passionate about that kind of stuff." He nodded, his eyes never leaving her.

"I can tell...Since you seem to enjoy house hunting, why don't you come with me tomorrow? I could really use the help and we could start getting to know each other better." He'd used her love of houses to coax her into spending the day with him and she smirked at how smoothly he'd pulled it off.

She was beginning to realize that taking things slowly with him was going to be a lot harder than it sounded and by the confident grin on his face, she could tell he knew it too. "Come on, Michonne…I'll buy you a doughnut for your services."

She shook her head and laughed to herself under her breath as she with hit with everything she was missing when she was with Mike. The chemistry between them was combustible and the issue wasn't going to be with igniting it. On the contrary, stopping it from igniting before they were both ready was going to be the real task.

She twisted her lips trying to hold back the smile she felt tugging at the corners of her lips.

"It better be Bacon Caramel and I'll need coffee too if it's earlier than 10am." He nodded his acceptance of her terms and pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her after unlocking it.

"Tell me where you live and I'll pick you up at 9:30."

 **XXXX**

 **A/N: Please review!**

 **I'm thinking that Lori and Mike are loose ends that aren't going to be tied up so easily…and three guesses as to who the realtor is and the first two don't count! ;)**


	10. Chapter 10 - House Hunters Atlanta

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter but for some reason I had a block on it. But here we are and I hope you guys like it! Thank you for all of the follows, favorites and reviews. Believe me when I say, they all make my day every time I read them. I am so grateful to all of you!

 **XXXXX**

 **Chapter Ten - House Hunters Atlanta**

He couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at Michonne out of the corner of his eye as they drove downtown to his realtor's office. She was quietly sipping on her iced caramel mocha latte and flipping through real estate listings on his iPad. The dark sunglasses she was wearing and her hair hid most of her face from him, but it was still a beautiful view. Every now and then, he'd catch her biting her lip as her finger hovered over one of the pictures and his mind would race tying to figure out the reason for it. Equally often, he'd hear a little disgusted gasp as her finger would quickly swipe away whatever was on the screen. when he couldn't take it any more, he decided to be the one to start the conversation.

"See anything good?"

"Yeah…there are some good ones in here but some of them are awful", she sighed as she kept swiping past images on the iPad.

"I'd hoped she showed me most of the awful last week", he commented with a laugh which earned him a shrug.

"Sorry, there's more awful to be had. What exactly are you looking for?"

"I just want something that feels like home. It can be a condo, a house, a townhouse…whatever. No McMansions and no penthouses though. I hate moving so it would be nice it it's something I can be in for a while. You know…something I can grow into."

"New or old?" He nodded at her question but felt the need to clarify.

"Either. But if it's old, I don't want a lot of renovations. I just want to move in."

"That makes sense. What kind of places have you seen so far?"

"All Jadis showed me last week were these brand new, downtown condos. You know…nothing but white walls and glass. She kept saying I just needed to see it and then she'd talk about blank canvases and the inherent beauty of nothing." Michonne fell into a fit of laughter needing to take a few sips of her coffee to keep from choking and he had to laugh a little bit at his own misfortune too. It had been pretty miserable for him while going through it, but seeing how much it tickled her helped him to see the humor in it.

"Wow! I consider myself pretty arty but…wow!" He pulled into a parking space at the realtor's office and looked over at her fully for the first time since they were in the coffee shop. Her beautiful brown eyes were shining with mirth as a small smile graced her plump, red lips. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He was too busy being hypnotized by her face which may have been the most gorgeous face he'd ever laid eyes on.

Realizing that the silence was quickly becoming awkward, he learned his throat and dragged his eyes away from her as his fingers fumbled with his seatbelt.

"Yeah…It was an unproductive afternoon to say the ready to meet my arty realtor?" He cringed at the way his voice revealed how unsettled she made him but he also knew that there was no maintaining his cool exterior as long as he was in her presence. She did things to him with only a smile and a look that he couldn't explain and she didn't even know it.

"I guess. She sounds…interesting." She tugged off her seatbelt and soon they were both standing outside the car and he had to keep telling himself not to fully admire her legs in the short summer dress she was wearing that had nearly killed him when she stood in the door of her condo when he'd picked her up earlier.

The dress wasn't even that revealing, falling to just above her knee; but she looked so good in it that he couldn't help but stare. It was loose and flowed across her body, hugging and accenting her ample curves every time she moved. It was also sleeveless so more of her immaculately smooth looking skin was on display than he'd ever seen and he could only assume that it was as silky soft as her hands were.

He was getting carried away again so he looked away and started walking toward the building and she fell in step next to him.

"Interesting isn't even the word", he sighed. They had almost made it to the door when Michonne's phone started ringing with the theme song from Jaws. He stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at her. She giggled as she fumbled around for her phone and he had to laugh too when she held it up so he could see "Mom" flashing across the screen.

"I know, I know. But you've never met my mom…if I don't answer this, she'll keep calling all day. I'll meet you inside?" Nodding, he watched as she brought the phone up to her ear and took a few steps away from the door. "Hi mom…"

He had to force himself to leave her on the sidewalk, but he eventually walked into the realtor's office, pausing in the foyer as he surveyed the room looking for Jadis who was nowhere to be found. He was just about to ask the receptionist about her when a perky blonde approached him with a smile that gave him chills with how much it reminded him of Lori.

"Rick? Rick Grimes?" His eyes widened when he realized that she sounded a little too much like Lori too and for a split second he thought he was cracking up.

"Yeah…" That smile remained firmly in place as she sidled up closer to him and extended her hand. He politely and briefly met her hand with his own.

"Good morning! I'm Jessie Anderson…I'm another realtor here. Jadis was struggling with finding something you would like. She thought I might be a better fit for you and I have to agree."

"Oh…" She flipped her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head to one side giving him a half smile.

"I'm so excited to be the one showing you houses today. I saw you in here last week and I think we're going to be able to connect in a really special way so I can help you find everything you've been looking for." When she took another step forward and placed a hand on his forearm, he realized that she wasn't just talking about houses. He stepped back and was trying to figure out what to say when he saw Michonne step through the doorway. He stepped around Jessie and determinedly walked toward Michonne hoping that he wasn't about to blow up everything.

"What took you so long, honey?" He noticed her eyes go wide but he just kept smiling at her as he nervously leaned in to kiss her cheek. As he stepped back he kept his eyes locked with hers and prayed that she heard the _I'm sorry but please_ _help me_ he was trying to silently communicate. Slowly, he turned around to face Jessie. "Jessie, this is Michonne…my girlfriend." The realtor's smile fell as her eyes drifted over to give Michonne the head to toe once over.

"Oh…I-I didn't know you were house hunting with someone…", she stuttered, extending her hand toward Michonne who accepted it with a little smile. "Hi, I'm Jessie…Rick's new realtor. I didn't see you here with him last week…"

"I was called into a last minute meeting at work", she began before releasing Jessie's hand and threading her arm through Rick's, "…and I knew that this one wouldn't make any important decisions without me." Rick released the breath he was holding as she looked up at him with a grin.

"I wouldn't even consider it.", he said with a grateful smile before turning back to Jessie. "So, what do you have to show us today?"

"Umm…I pulled a few new construction townhouses in up and coming neighborhoods and some single family homes near the Old Fourth Ward…" Jessie's perky flirtatiousness had faded behind a mask of cool professionalism and Rick couldn't hide his relief.

"Those sound good, right babe?" Michonne nodded and squeezed his arm a little tighter before turning her attention back to Jessie.

"We're ready to go take a look whenever you are." She answered them with a simple nod as she turned away.

"Let me go get my things and we'll be ready to go." He waited until she was clearly out of earshot before sighing and looking over at Michonne. There was an amused smile on her lips as she peered at him through the corner of her eye.

"Thank you…", he whispered but she only shook her head and laughed under her breath.

"Can't take you anywhere…", she teased and he'd never been so happy to be teased in his entire life. If she was teasing him, she couldn't be too mad at him and he took that to mean that he hadn't messed up any shot he had with her.

"I'm sorry. She was getting a little too familiar and I thought it would be easier to handle it this way… " She only narrowed her eyes at his explanation and nodded along with his words like she was enjoying watching him squirm.

"Uh-huh…why do I get the feeling this was all part of your plan?" He felt a blush creep across his cheeks.

"It wasn't, I swear!" He shook his head to vehemently support his denial but she twisted her lips and kept her skeptical look firmly in place.

"Riiiggghhht…you owe me a whole lot of doughnuts, Grimes." He groaned and lowered his shoulders in defeat which finally made her skepticism vanish with that laugh that he already liked so much.

"I'll make it up to you." As he he stared down at her face which was glowing with amusement, and oblivious to the fact that Jessie had returned and was ready to go, he knew he'd meant it. No matter how long it took, he'd be dammed if he didn't make it up to her.

 **XXXXX**

Three hours, 2 houses, and 2 townhouses later, Michonne was ready to leave Rick alone in his mission to put a roof over his head. Some of it was because of the houses themselves but most of it was a direct result of his overly attentive realtor. Rick had been under the assumption that introducing Michonne as his girlfriend would keep Jessie under control but he'd been so very wrong.

It all started with the first house; a mcmansion in the suburbs that went against everything Rick said he wanted. He hadn't even wanted to go inside but she'd convinced him to just look at it so he'd know exactly what he didn't want. He'd reluctantly given in, and Jessie had immediately started talking about the great neighborhood, fantastic schools, and the homeowner's association designed to maintain property values. Very quickly Jessie showed her that she didn't give a damn that Rick had a girlfriend or that said girlfriend was right there.

She'd spent a good 15 minutes watching disbelievingly as Jessie kept touching Rick's arm, or leaning over so the view down her shirt was more prominent, and flipping her hair and giggling like a goddamn teenager before she decided to take a more active approach in the girlfriend role she was supposed to be playing. She wasn't sure when she turned into a jealous fake girlfriend but she'd be damned if she let that perky little blond disrespect her and her fake boyfriend right in front of her.

Not helping matters at all was the fact that her fake boyfriend was looking especially good that day. He was wearing faded jeans that fit tight in his thighs and a thin navy blue t-shirt that molded to his chest like a second skin. He had a baseball cap covering his dark brown curls and day old growth on his cheeks and she found herself wondering how someone who made an expensive suit look as good as he did could look just as tasty in jeans and a t-shirt. She almost didn't blame Jessie for looking and trying to get some of his attention. But every time she saw her flaunt herself in front of Rick, Michonne felt herself become overcome with a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time. Only being his fake girlfriend didn't stop some very real jealousy from rushing through her.

Jessie was showing Rick the huge walk-in shower in the master bedroom of the first house when it all became too much and forced her to walk over and thread her fingers through his. His eyes flicked from Jessie over to her almost immediately and she held his gaze as she moved to stand in the shower, tugging him along with her.

"Babe, this shower is big enough to share don't you think?" As soon as they were both inside, she pulled the door closed and slid her arms around his neck. His eyes were wide and she could almost see the wheels turning behind them. He stared at her silently for a moment, before a half grin crossed his lips and his hands found their way to her waist.

"I think the shower's fine but there's no way we'd both fit in that bathtub", he said and there was something about the way he was looking at her that was hitting her a little too hard in all the right places a little more than she expected. Those crystal blue eyes of his were so warm and she was being pulled into them with the force of a tractor beam.

She slowly slid her arms from around his neck and her palms landed on his chest and she paused when she realized how firm his pecs were under that thin, navy t-shirt.

Yep, touching him had been a terrible idea and as she kept asking herself if she took the act a little too far, she turned to look at Jessie who was glowering at them slack-jawed and steaming. She was opening her mouth to speak when she felt Rick's soft lips graze her temple confirming her fear that she had definitely taken it too far. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath as an image of ways they could use that bathtub flitted through her mind.

"I'm sorry Jessie. This house just isn't going to work for us."

That incident set the tone for the rest of the tours. She tried not to look surprised when he'd entwine their fingers together or place his hand at the small of her back to guide her from room to room but those small interactions were building up and she was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate. So she tried to focus on her real purpose for being there which was helping Rick find a place to live.

The townhouses they looked at were a bit closer to what he seemed to want, but there was nothing special about them. She'd point out the few cool architectural features she saw but he'd just shrug and she really couldn't blame him. Everything they saw had one thing in common; they were all as basic as the realtor showing them.

"Well…I'm sorry but that's all we have for today. Just make another appointment and we'll try again…" Jessie was flipping through her tablet very quickly but not before Michonne caught a glimpse of another townhouse she hadn't showed them yet.

"What about that one?" she asked. Jessie looked up at her with

With a deep sigh, Jessie swiped back and a three story, end unit townhouse appeared on the screen. It was white brick with small, gray shuttered windows above the arched doorway. The showstopper though, was the the three floor to ceiling windows with rounded arches on what looked to be the second floor.

"That? It's been on the market for months. It's priced too high for the neighborhood and the owner hasn't been willing to deal." She heard Jessie's explanation but the image on the iPad had her full attention. she took it from Jessie's hand and moved closer to Rick so he could see it too.

"It's really interesting, don't you think? It's not as cookie cutter as the ones we already saw…" He nodded and touched the screen to reveal a few more pictures, pausing on one of the relatively large backyard. She immediately thought it would be perfect for a cookout because of its shade trees and spacious deck.

"Is that a fire pit…and a hammock?" Their eyes met over the iPad and she was happy to see that he was grinning about something house related for the first time all day. It lit up his entire face illuminating all of his best features and she couldn't help but smile back.

"We should take a look…", she prodded and he was just openings mouth to respond when Jessie decided to remind them of her presence.

"As your realtor, I have to say that townhouse is a waste of time. The owner isn't going to move on price and charm isn't worth the extra money…" Even though she was still talking, Jessie's voice was like a distant buzzing as they held each other's gaze and she came to the realization that three hours of pretending to be his girlfriend was way too long. The charade had taken its toll and she was beginning to have a hard time separating make believe from reality.

He licked his bottom lip and slightly nodded, his eyes never leaving hers as he absently handed the tablet back to Jessie.

"If Michonne says we should take a look, we should take a look", he stated, leaving no room for argument and that decisiveness coupled with the roughness of his voice making the hair on her arms stand on end.

She slowly took his hand in hers and threaded their fingers together knowing that she wasn't doing it as part of the act. When his lips curled into that sexy grin of his, she had a feeling that he knew it too.

 **XXXXX**

Jessie was droning on and on about other houses she could show him and the negative resale value of the townhouse they were currently standing in, but he wasn't listening. All of his attention was focused on Michonne. She was sitting on the window seat in the eat in kitchen bathed in sunlight staring out onto the back deck.

He was consumed by her beauty to the point of distraction and pretending to be a couple had completely exacerbated the situation. Slipping into the role of her boyfriend had come way too easy almost to the point that he forgot that they really weren't looking for a place for both of them. He found himself agreeing with her on everything but he also had to admit that she'd been right about everything.

Then, she'd found the house they were standing in. They were lucky there was an open house that day so Jessie had no choice but to take them to see it and pictures didn't do the place justice. It was modern just like all of the places he'd seen the week before but it had something the others had been missing. Dark wood, exposed brick and beams, and floor to ceiling windows that would let light in at any point of the day gave the place a warmth that made it feel like a home.

It was also a lot bigger than he'd expected; four bedrooms, three and a half baths with space for an office on the first floor. The backyard on the other hand, wasn't very big but it had a gorgeous deck that he could picture filled with friends and family for cookouts. There was also a hammock for two that he'd already tested out by pulling Michonne onto it with him.

He'd told himself that he'd done it as part of their act much like when she'd pulled him into the shower with her in the first house. She had no idea what that had done to him. It had taken every shred of restraint he had in him not to just kiss her. He hadn't been prepared to have her lush body in his arms like that but it felt just like he'd dreamed it would but it had ended too quickly. When he saw that hammock though, he saw a golden opportunity that he couldn't pass up.

She'd released a surprise scream when he'd grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hammock with him; her body landing almost in his lap before sliding into the space next to him. Her surprise faded into a beautiful laugh and she buried her face in his arm as he started laughing too.

They'd stayed there for a little while; their weight causing the hammock to gently sway from side to side. Feeling the warmth of her thigh against his and wanting to feel more of it, he'd slipped his arm around her trying to be as close to her as he possibly could.

As he absently rubbed his thumb along the soft skin of her bare shoulder, he was overwhelmed by how perfect that moment felt.

"This is good…" She'd only smiled and continued looking around the yard.

"Yeah! This backyard will be great for parties…" He had to laugh at the way she'd either completely missed or completely swerved the point he was trying to make. Undeterred, he continued rubbing small circles against her skin.

"It will be but that's not what I was talking about…", he paused as she turned her head to look at him, but he just took a deep breath and kept going. "I meant this...us. Being here like this with you is good." She smiled at him, shaking her head slightly before opening her mouth to speak and his heart sped up in anticipation of her next words.

"I…" He could've screamed when Jessie appeared out of nowhere to interrupt their conversation.

"So…the open house is ending soon. Are you ready to see the rest of the house?" His lips formed a thin line but he took Michonne's hand as they both rose from the hammock, hoping that maintaining contact would somehow keep them in that moment. As they explored the rest of the house, all he could think about was what she was going to say and as soon as he had a chance, he was going to find out.

That was a half-hour ago and he'd just found Michonne after she'd wandered away to look at the kitchen some more. When he found her sitting on the window seat, se laughed to himself when he realized that Jadis had been right, not about the blank canvas nonsense, but about him needing to see it.

Everywhere he looked, he could see himself having a life in that house. The unexpected part was that he saw himself having a life there with her. He saw himself sitting at the kitchen island watching her cook and he could picture them sitting in front of the fireplace with a couple glasses of wine. She was prominent in every vision he had of backyard parties and of late night conversations in the bedroom. He saw all of it and he wanted to make it real.

He glanced over to Jessie who was looking more sour faced than she had all day, and sighed. If he was going to do it, he'd better get the ball rolling before it was too late.

"I want to put an offer on this one." Jessie's mouth fell open and she openly glared at him.

"What?" Not interested in anything she could possibly say, he turned his attention back to Michonne.

"Make it a full price offer. I don't want to play games, I just want it."

"It's overpriced! I can't let you make a decision like this because your… girlfriend…likes exposed brick!" That comment called his attention back and he narrowed his eyes at her and by he way her eyes widened and her face turned red, he knew she was receiving his message loud and clear. Just in case that look wasn't clear, he decided to reinforce it with words.

"You can put my offer in on this townhouse or I can find a new realtor who will." Jessie scrambled for her phone and quickly started backing away from him.

"I'll put the offer in right now." He only responded with a short nod before leaving her to go stand next to Michonne. She must have sensed him because she turned her head and smiled as he approached. She was absolutely breathtaking and all of the bravado he'd just demonstrated with Jessie, disappeared leaving him a complete mess under Michonne's scrutiny.

"Time to go see more awful houses?" He had to laugh at the way the question was asked so sadly and she even punctuated it with a little pout. He couldn't believe that she could be so sexy and so cute all at the same time.

"No…this is the last one." She shook her head and sighed in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Rick. Maybe the third time will be the charm." He frowned and sat next to her on the window seat.

"There isn't going to be a third time. I'm putting an offer on this one." Her face completely changed and her hand came to unexpectedly rest on his thigh.

"You are?"

"Yeah…", his voice caught in his throat as his brain was too focused on that hand on his leg. He forced his mind to clear so he could keep talking. "I think my other realtor was right about one thing. I just needed to see it and I guess I finally did."

"Are you sure?" He nodded and he looked so excited about his choice and even though it shouldn't have made any difference at all, it made all the difference. Making her happy was something he wanted to keep doing over and over again.

"It has everything I wanted plus a few things I didn't know I wanted until I saw them…"

"The hammock?" Her interruption came with a smile so he wasn't too upset about it especially since she was right.

"Yeah…that hammock is going to get a lot of use!"

"It is pretty great! Makes me want a hammock of my very own." He covered her hand with his and he noticed her slight gasp when she realized where her hand had been resting all that time. He refused to let her go inside of her own head about it though and he gave her the biggest smile he could muster.

"You're welcome to use mine anytime!" She nodded and looked away with what he could almost swear was a blush. "So…since you accomplished your task of helping me find a place to live…"

"If the offer is accepted…" She was trying to get him not to get too excited about it because it wasn't a done deal, but he was sure that Jessie got his message and would make sure he got the house.

"I have a good feeling it will be. How about you let me start making it up to you by going out to dinner with me tonight? And just so we're on the same page, I'm not asking you to a dinner between friends. I'm asking you on a real date." The only thing he read on her face was calmness and it gave him no indication of how she would answer. The only sign was when she turned her hand over in his and squeezed it tightly.

"Ok", she whispered, taking him by surprise at how easy that had been. Maybe he wasn't the only one that felt like something had shifted between them and that pretending they were a couple had given them a glimpse of what it could be like between them.

"Yeah?" She nodded and the corners of her lips turned up slightly.

"At this point, it had better be a date!"

 **XXXXX**

The knock on the door brought a huge smile to her face. He was a little early, but Michonne was so excited to see him even though he'd dropped her off only a few hours ago so they could both get ready for their date. Her smile grew wider at the fact that they were about to go out on their first real date. It could be argued that spending the day together house hunting could be considered a date, but with the act they had to put on all day, it wasn't exactly what she wanted their first date should be even though it had been pretty great. If anything, it showed her that taking things slow may not be possible because every time they were together, the air around them seemed to ignite.

She gave herself one last look in the mirror. Her skin was practically glowing from excitement and her favorite coconut oil and shea butter body cream and her hair was loose and framing her face. The dark red color on her lips matched her lacy, dark red dress which was much more date-worthy than what she'd been wearing earlier. It was sleeveless, hit her around her mid-thigh, and it had a sheer panel that gave a tease of her stomach. She felt sexy and she hoped it made Rick a little flustered because he was so cute when he was off balance.

Another knock signaled that he was becoming impatient and it drew her out of the bedroom and over to her front door. She braced herself for seeing him, knowing that he'd gone home to make himself just as sexy for her as she did for him. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and centered her thoughts as she swung open the door.

"You're early…" Her words trailed off as her smile faded and she felt a headache pricking at the edges of her brain. "Mike? What are you doing here?"

 **XXXXX**

A/N: Things are really going to get rolling in the next few chapters! As always, let me know what you think! :)


	11. Chapter 11 - First Dates

_I'm really sorry for the delay but real life has been crazy busy lately. Thank you for sticking with me and for the reviews, follows, and favorites. You all truly make my day!_

 **Chapter 11 - First Dates and Other Disasters**

"Mike? What are you doing here?" She asked, stepping out on her porch and pulling the door shut behind her.

"I got an earlier flight and I wanted to surprise you," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She stepped to the side in the nick of time to dodge his too eager lips. "This isn't exactly the greeting I was expecting..."

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose in response to the sudden headache she felt coming on and tried to focus on the more pressing problem at hand which was getting rid of Mike before Rick got there.

"I wasn't exactly expecting you on my doorstep tonight and I'm on my way out…"

He nodded and she felt his eyes raking over her body from head to toe. When his eyes met hers again, he licked his lips before curving them into a sly grin.

"I see that and you're looking especially tempting tonight, baby…," he complemented.

"Please don't call me that…," she said trying to shut down any ideas he might have. "I thought we were going to have coffee tomorrow and talk…"

He shrugged and took a step forward. "We can talk now. Maybe even tell your friends you decided to stay in tonight…"

Telling him she didn't want to see him anymore wasn't something she wanted to do out on her front porch, but inviting him in was not an option either. If she was going to do it, it was going to have to be right then…like ripping off a bandage…

"Listen, Mike…I don't think we should see each other any more," she said and she watched as his overly confident grin disappeared from his face.

"Wh-what?" He asked.

"I didn't want to tell you like this but you showing up here really left me no choice…," she explained but from the vacant expression in his eyes, she could tell her words weren't landing.

"You…don't want to see me?" He asked in a weird combination of disbelief and sarcasm. He was looking at her like she'd grown a second head, and she wondered if it was the first time he'd been on the receiving end of one of those kinds of talks.

She thought about telling him what a nice, good looking guy he is to try to preserve his ego before she sent him away but decided against it. His ego would have to be just fine without her half-hearted attempt to make him feel better.

"I just think we should just keep things professional between us from now on. The CDC job is huge for my company and I hope you won't let this get in the way of that," she stated as diplomatically as she possibly could.

He folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at her. "Hold up…what happened while I was in DC? We were good before I left…"

"No…we were trying to force something that wasn't there and wasting each other's time," she countered.

"Michonne…," he began, but there was nothing he could say that she actually wanted to hear.

"You should probably go. I need to leave soon…," she interrupted.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why," he shouted and any guilt she felt about the situation vanished leaving only irritation in its place.

"Is it really that serious? We went on two dates," she exclaimed.

"I just want to know why a woman like you would reject a guy like me." He stated; the arrogance just oozing out of him and shining a spotlight on the type of man he really was. She couldn't even blame Sasha for not seeing it. He hid it behind a handsome, charming mask that he'd perfected but even it couldn't forever hide the ugliness behind it.

"What do you mean, a woman like me?" She asked, not meaning to entertain his arguing but unable not to once he'd hit her buttons.

"I'm just saying, there are a lot of very attractive women in Atlanta who would love to be with me. What makes you so different?"

That was it. She was done with him and that entire conversation.

"Go home, Mike," she commanded.

"Your friends can wait! I already told you, I'm not leaving until you tell me why," he yelled, taking a step forward so he was towering over her but she stood her ground.

"I don't owe you anything. I can't even say it's over between us because there was nothing between us except for two dinners and an awkward kiss. I'm sorry if this is the first time a woman has told you she doesn't want to be with you, but it happens to all of us and you'll survive," she said, her tone measured and carefully controlled. "Now…you're going to leave while I'm still only asking you to."

"You're a bit…"

"I wouldn't finish that if I were you…," interrupted a voice she barely recognized because she'd never heard it that angry. She turned her head to locate the source and, for better or for worse, there was Rick and Mike's presence wasn't the only reason she wasn't ready for him. In that moment, even though it was the absolute worst time, she couldn't help but think how sexy Rick was and she felt her body heat up at just the sight of him.

Whoever tailored his suits deserved a raise. The dark grey one he wore fit him expertly and paired with the white oxford shirt he'd tucked in and left the top two buttons open, he looked like he'd stepped off the pages of GQ. His hair was still a little damp from the shower and it was combed back away from his face taming his curls into soft waves.

If all of that wasn't enough, he'd shaved reminding her of how he looked the day they met. Somehow his eyes looked even more blue if that was even possible, but there was a darkness there that she'd never seen. The blue that usually reminded her of a warm, summer sky was gone and in its place was an icy, glare she never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

Mike chuckling under his breath brought her out of her thoughts and forced her attention back to him.

"For real, Michonne?" He shook his head at her and started backing away. "I should've known. I never even had a shot with you, did I? Obviously, I'm not your type," he spat, the insinuation far from subtle but she chose to ignore it because she didn't want that bullshit conversation to go on any longer than it needed to.

"Don't go there...," she said, biting back the snide comments that may have kept him on her porch even longer. She was about to tell him to leave one last time when she saw Rick leave his position at the bottom of the steps and move to stand at her side facing Mike.

"Look, I don't know who you are but if you don't leave on your own in the next 10 seconds, I'm going to escort you off this porch," he cautioned; his tone drawing her gaze to his profile. His jaw was tight and his attention was completely on the other man.

There was a brief pause as both men sized each other up and she hoped that it didn't go any farther. Her wish was granted when Mike turned around and descended the stairs.

"I'm out," he yelled over his shoulder, "Enjoy your…date…Michonne."

They stood silently and watched him disappear down the sidewalk and to his car. It wasn't until he was gone that her anger and frustration disappeared, leaving her with a growing sense of embarrassment. This was not how she expected that night to start. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm herself down.

"Are you ok?" Rick asked, his voice quiet and she hated the sympathy she heard in it.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Thank you for stepping in…" Her voice sounded almost mechanical, even to her, and he must have heard it too because he was suddenly standing in front of her but she still refused to lift her head to look at him.

"Of course, but you had everything under control," he said, crouching down slightly so he could see her eyes.

Reluctantly, she glanced up and saw the marked concern filling his gaze and she was overcome with the need to tell him everything.

"My friends set me up with him and we went out a couple of times…but I'd already decided to break things off with him before you and I ran into each other but he was out of town and I didn't want to do it over the phone or in a text because that would've been really shitty," she explained without pausing to take a breath. "But then again, how shitty was it for my date to show up while I was telling him I didn't want to see him anymore. I can't believe this is happening…" She pinched her forehead with a trembling hand.

"Michonne…," he began, but she shook her head to stop him.

"Look…I understand if you don't want to go out with me any more. That was a little too much drama for a first date…any date really," she sighed.

He didn't immediately respond so she lifted her eyes to meet his again to get some idea of what he was thinking…maybe to get one last look at those gorgeous blue eyes before he agreed with her and walked out of her life forever.

She was surprised to find him smiling at her like he'd just heard a joke and she felt the confusion settling in on her face. Before she could say anything, his hands found their way to her shoulders and his thumbs started rubbing circles against her skin sending shivers racing through her entire body.

"Listen, whatever happened tonight doesn't change what I think of you," he said, "How could it? You're still the most amazing woman I've ever met and I can't wait to get to know you better."

"You still want to go out with me after all that?" She asked.

"Of course! I'll be dammed if I let that guy ruin our date. Besides…there's no way we're wasting how beautiful you look right now." His smile nearly melted her with its genuineness. One hand left her shoulder to retrieve the flowers he'd left on the top step. "These are for you."

She smiled and took the flowers from him, bringing them up to her nose. He'd brought her a multicolored bouquet of stargazer lilies and she had no idea how he could've known that was one of her favorite flowers.

"Thank you. They're lovely."

"You're welcome," he smiled. "We should get moving. The Uber will be back any minute and we wouldn't want to miss our reservation."

She nodded and told herself to push any and all thoughts of Mike out of her head. Rick was right, and she wasn't about to let that jerk ruin the date she'd been looking so forward to.

"Let me go inside and put these in water, then I'll be ready to go. Do you want to come in and wait?" She smiled and he mirrored it almost instantly.

"Sure," he agreed.

She opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open for him to follow. As he walked past her, she caught a whiff of his body wash and she wanted to live in that scent. It was fresh and clean with a hint of vanilla just to spice things up a bit and it suited him perfectly.

"God, you smell good…," she thought she was whispering but it came out a little louder than she expected and he turned to her with a huge, satisfied grin.

"What was that?" He asked.

"The flowers…they smell good," she covered.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue and she rushed into the kitchen to get the flowers in water.

"You've got a nice place," he commented just as she emerged from the kitchen with the vase of flowers.

"Thanks." She stepped past him and placed the flowers on the coffee table before standing next to him and surveying the brightly decorated room. Her inspiration came from a little bit of everywhere; African and Middle Eastern prints, modern abstract art, with a few of her own sketches mixed in for good measure. "It's small, but it's home."

"It suits you."

She retrieved her purse and keys from one of the end tables before threading her arm through his. "Well, I'll have to give you the tour another time because I hear we have someplace to be."

He cleared his throat and gave her a crooked grin. "That we do. Are you ready?"

That was a loaded question. She hadn't been ready for how good he looked, how good he smelled, how charming and attentive he was…

She especially wasn't ready for how much all of those things made her want him even more than she already did. So was she ready to go out on a date with him where all of those things were going to be even more amplified?

She took a deep breath and held on to his arm a little tighter as he led her out of her home. "Yeah. I'm ready."

 **XXXXX**

First dates had always been slightly troublesome for Rick. His first date ever had been when he was a freshman in high school and had finally worked up enough courage to ask Amanda Sawyer to go to the movies with him. He'd bought her ticket, popcorn, soda, and candy and at the end of the night when he leaned in to kiss her cheek good night, she promptly puked all over him. She mumbled something about too much butter and apologized through a flood of tears. After that, they could barely look at each other at school more or less go out on another date.

His second first date was with the girl he would end up dating throughout high school but you wouldn't have known that by how their date went. Jennifer Brady was a cheerleader and Shane had convinced him to go out with her so he could date her friend. Their double date abruptly ended when Shane irrevocably offended his date and Jennifer left with her in a huff.

After high school, it was a string of first dates that were either not memorable enough for a second date or too memorable for all the wrong reasons. Then, he met Lori and their first date resulted in the nightmare of being stuck in out in the boonies with a flat tire and no spare in the middle of a nor'easter that, upon looking back, he should've taken as a sign.

So when he decided to ask Michonne on their first date, he was fully prepared for an unfortunate event or two. Interestingly enough, finding her looking insanely gorgeous and arguing with another guy on her doorstep wasn't on the list of scenarios he'd come up with. It almost made their first date a non-date and that would've been yet another bullet point on his list of troublesome first dates.

He almost couldn't blame the guy for being upset. Michonne was beautiful, smart, funny…and a million other things he couldn't wait to learn all about. A part of him almost felt sorry for Mike until he saw what a complete asshole he was. Michonne's friend definitely owed her one for getting her involved with that guy.

Of course, she had it mostly taken care of and his knight in shining armor routine ended up being the punctuation instead of the statement, but that was ok. She had it handled and he respected that. Hell, it was kinda sexy watching her be completely in control. It may have even awakened a turn-on he didn't know he had.

That said, he'd been more than willing to defend her honor. No one was going to call her anything remotely demeaning in his presence and he was even surprised by how quickly anger rose up in him when Mike almost called her a bitch after having the audacity to raise his voice at her. It had made him see red and he wasn't sure what he would've done had Mike not left when he did.

Still, he was grateful things didn't go sideways because aside from that inauspicious beginning, this first date was going smoothly. It was actually pretty much perfect, so much so he was starting to think that spraining his ankle the day they met had already satisfied the first date gods.

He'd made the reservation for them at Two Urban Licks right after he'd dropped her off that afternoon. He wanted to take her someplace where he'd never taken anyone else so when the internet didn't help, he made a semi-panicked phone call to Maggie and she'd made the suggestion. He had to call in a few favors to get them in on such short notice but it was worth it when he saw how excited Michonne was when the Uber pulled up.

They'd ordered strong drinks, she enjoyed her tuna while he devoured his steak, and they'd shared a decadent slice of carrot cake. The drinks kept flowing and even though he was sure he wasn't drunk, he definitely felt like it. He felt warm all over, his head was spinning, and his face hurt from smiling so much.

Everything about her intoxicated him, starting with that red dress she was wearing. It was sexy without being revealing and the color made her skin practically glow. Her wavy locs were down; falling to frame her face and decorated with more of the little hair clips he remembered from the day they'd had lunch. She'd let how much she liked the way he smelled slip, and he made a mental note to order his body wash in bulk, but she smelled better than he could ever hope to. It reminded him of being on an island where the breeze carries hints of coconut, pineapples, and the ocean.

There was a live band playing the blues and they were sitting far enough away that the music didn't overwhelm their ability to talk. But when they launched into a cover of _Red House_ by Jimi Hendrix, and Michonne closed her eyes and started swaying along to the music as she mouthed the words, he almost lost his mind. She was so sexy and it was practically effortless. All she was doing was singing along to a band and it made him want to just grab her and kiss her.

He was able to control himself, as difficult as that was, and as they talked about everything from their families to their college days, he couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed that much. Every time her face exploded into that breathtaking smile of hers, it made his stomach do flips.

Her hand lightly resting on top of his jarred him from his thoughts and he looked up to find her smiling at him from across the table.

"You know it's your turn, right?" They were in the middle of a game of Twenty Questions to get to know each other better and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Ok…why do you have the theme from Jaws as your mom's ringtone?" He asked and she shook her head.

"I should've known you were going to ask me about that," she sighed. "You know how in Jaws, people are just enjoying their day and then BAM shark attack? That's Yvonne Bishop. You could be having a wonderful conversation with her and out of nowhere she'll attack. With me, it's usually about not getting married and giving her some grand babies yet."

Knowing that drama a little too well, he smiled and lifted his glass to his lips.

"Is that something you want?" He asked after clearing his throat to hide his unexpected interest in her answer. It was their first date and he had no business thinking about marriage and kids. He'd been with Lori for years and the thought had never crossed his mind, but here he was; buying a house way too big and asking his date if she wanted kids one day.

"Sure...one day…," she said; her answer making him inexplicably happy. "That was two questions by the way…," she continued.

"Fine. You can have two," he conceded.

"Ok...what's your favorite movie?" She asked and he was thankful for the softball question after where his mind had been.

"Easy one...Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," he said, and she smiled broadly.

"I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals," she quoted. "…I love Paul Newman. Your eyes remind me of his." She went all dreamy for a second and he wasn't quite sure if she was thinking about him or Paul Newman.

"That may be the best compliment I've ever gotten," he grinned.

"Somehow I doubt that," she scoffed. "Second question…why is your best friend your best friend?"

He finished what was left in his glass and laughed under his breath.

"Because he followed me home one day and I haven't been able to get rid of him since," he said.

"Be serious," she laughed.

"I am being serious! Shane moved here from Savannah in eighth grade and Woodward Academy is a tough place to be a new kid so my mom made me invite him over after school one day. He followed me home," he explained.

"So why is he still your best friend?" She pressed.

"That's a third question Ms. Bishop…," he hedged but she wasn't having it.

"No, it's a clarification."

"Fine...he's a pain in my ass most of the time but he always has my back no matter what," he concluded.

"So loyalty is important to you…," she sighed and he nodded.

"…should be important to everyone," he shrugged. "My turn…do you have any siblings?"

"I have two brothers...Heath is older and Noah is younger. We're closer now than we were as kids. Back then, I wanted to beat them on a daily basis but they've always been there for me and I'm always there for them too."

"Sounds like loyalty is something we have in common," he said.

"Sounds like it…," she agreed and he could see the wheels turning in her head for her next question. "What was the last thing you googled?"

"Really?" He laughed.

"Come on...give it up Grimes!"

"Fine," he conceded. He pulled out his phone, and opened Google before handing it to her.

Her lips curved into a cute smile and she placed her palm over her heart.

"Awww...best restaurants in Atlanta for a first date," she gushed.

"Google was my wingman tonight but I still called Maggie to make sure I was on the right track," he explained, feeling a blush creep across his cheeks.

"That's impossibly sweet," she smiled.

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, their waiter appeared at the table to leave the check which he retrieved as soon as it was put down. "Hey, let me at least leave the tip…," she offered, but he was shaking his head before the words even left her mouth.

"No. This is a date and I'm not letting you pay for anything," he insisted.

"How did you end up being such a gentleman?" she wondered. He chuckled at her question as he pulled out his credit card and laid it down with the bill.

"My dad. He met my mom for almost 40 years ago and he's been wooing her everyday since," He loved the wistful smile that appeared on her face with his explanation. She was a romantic and that was good information to have. He bit his lip and smiled at this new knowledge about her. "That counts as a question..."

"I know...give it to me," she said and with him being as wound up as he was, it sounded like she was asking for something else. He fought against the shivers hearing that phrase from her lips sent racing down his spine. He had to force himself to focus on her and their game rather than the NSFW images threatening to take over his mind.

"H-how did you end up being so perfect?" He stuttered.

She shook her head, sending her locs flying into her face.

"I'm a long way from perfect…," she countered.

"Maybe...but you may just be perfect for me," he mused and he meant it.

"Now you're just making me blush," she rose from her chair. "I'm going to run to the ladies room..." He realized too late that she didn't know the waiter was behind her.

"Michonne watch out for..." She was turning before he could get the words out and he cringed as she turned and bumped into the waiter who was carrying a tray of drinks for the next table. Everything after that happened in slow motion. The waiter stumbled, the tray toppled, the drinks spilled, the people at the next table were splashed, and Michonne stood in the middle of it all looking like an innocent, clumsy angel.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry," She exclaimed, her voice filled with extreme regret and embarrassment. The waiter had been able to stop the glasses from falling to the floor where they most definitely would've shattered, so the only casualties were the drinks themselves.

"It's not a problem mamn," he answered but Michonne shook her head and placed a hand on his arm.

"No it is. Let me pay for their drinks," she reasoned but the waiter shook his head. "It's the least I can do," she pleaded.

The waiter finally gave in and took off toward the bar for a new drinks and a towel while Michonne turned to the people whose drinks she'd destroyed.

Rick smiled to himself while watching her apologize profusely to the people the drinks had spilled on; charming them out of their irritation almost effortlessly before continuing on to the ladies room. Even when she was obviously mortified, she was amazing.

The waiter returned to pick up the check and his credit card but Rick stopped him.

"Add the spilled drinks to my check," he directed and the waiter nodded before scurrying off.

A few minutes later after he had his card back and the Uber was summoned, he saw Michonne walking toward him from the ladies room giving him another opportunity to admire her in that dress. Her locs were pulled over one shoulder and she was wearing a chagrined smile probably stemming from the spilled drinks incident. Still, her long legs and the gentle sway of her hips captured his attention and made his mouth drier than the Sahara. It also left him with a tightening in his pants that he quickly had to figure out how to hide.

She reached the table and gave him a half smile.

"Ready to go?" He asked. "I already sent for an Uber."

"The waiter is bringing the bill for the drinks…Hurricane Michonne strikes again," she said, her eyes not meeting his.

He stood up and placed his hand under her chin so he could look into her deep brown eyes and all he saw in them was humiliation. All he wanted to do was take away from her.

"Listen…from what I can see, being clumsy is your only flaw meaning you're better than 99 percent of the people on this planet. It's ok," he soothed. "And the bill is already taken care of."

Her mouth fell open and she shook her head in protest.

"Rick...no! That was all me..."

He only smiled at her and took her hand as they started walking out of the restaurant. "I already told you I'm not letting you pay for anything tonight. Hurricane Michonne damages included."

He heard her release a deep sigh and he wasn't sure if it was from frustration or resignation but then he felt her squeeze his hand.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He squeezed her hand back. "You're welcome."

They continued out to the car and all he could think about was how much he wasn't ready for this date to end.

 **XXXXX**

She was a little lightheaded and she couldn't be sure if it was from the drinks or from the man beside her, but either way she enjoyed the way it made her feel. He'd told the Uber driver to wait so he could walk her to her door and he held his hand tightly in his as they made their way up the sidewalk to her townhouse.

"...favorite thing to do on a Sunday?", he asked, continuing the game of twenty questions they'd been playing all night.

"If it's football season, I'm watching the Falcons. If not, curling up with a book is always nice. Sometimes I like to just go explore the little shops and cafes in the neighborhood," she said. A few unbidden images floated through her head of the two of them enjoying some of those things together. She saw them cheering on the Falcons, holding hands as they walked through Little Five Points together, her head in his lap as they both read books on her sofa…

"My firm has a box at the dome and we're all going for the home opener," he stated, pulling her out of her daydream.

"Awesome! I'm so jealous though…," she whined at the idea of being in a box at opening day. It would be a dream come true.

"Why? I know it's two months from now but you're going with me," he said and she couldn't deny the little flutter in her stomach at him making plans for them so far down the road. She glanced over at him and he was still facing forward but she noticed the corners of his lips turned up in a smile. "Your turn…,"

"Well...since you got to witness me embarrassing myself, what's something embarrassing about you?" She asked.

He dropped his chin to his chest and sighed deeply.

"Oh man...don't look at me differently…," he groaned, and it only piqued her curiosity even more.

"I promise I won't," she said and honestly, she couldn't think of anything that would change her opinion of him. They'd reached the steps leading up to the porch of her townhouse and he turned to face her.

"Ok…," he sighed, "…there was this album my mom listened to on repeat for about a year when I was younger and sometimes I just start whistling or humming...even singing those songs without even realizing it. I think I know every word to every song on that album."

"What album?" There was a long pause as she waited for him to reveal his secret shame. Her mind raced with every album she could think of but nothing came to mind that should cause the look of distress on his face.

"Barry Manilow...Greatest Hits," he confessed, twisting his face up in shame. The laugh that spilled out of her made her double over as she imagined him singing along to the sappy ballad king of the 70s.

"That's not too bad I guess," she said after catching her breath. "I mean...he does write the songs that make the whole world sing…" She didn't even know where she pulled those lyrics from but she was thankful for the plethora of useless information she kept stored in her brain.

He rolled his eyes and hung his head again.

"Michonne…"

She gently poked him in the ribs and smiled even wider.

"You know... _the songs of love and special things_ …", she sang, loud and off-key, and not caring about the neighbors. She watched as a slow smile crept on his face and his shoulders relaxed before he threw his arm over her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

" _The songs that make the young girls cry. I write the songs, I write the songs_." He sang just as loudly and off-key as she had and she laughed so hard that her vision was blurred with tears as she joined her voice with his.

" _I am music and I write the songs!_ "

She couldn't remember the last time she'd had as much fun with anyone. They were both laughing then; and without even thinking about it, she wrapped both arms around him and hugged him tight against her as he led her up the stairs to her door and she felt like she was at home in his arms.

"Neither of us can sing for shit," she laughed and he nodded, releasing her from their embrace.

"Yet another thing we have in common…so if you're done teasing me, we're at your door so last question…", he said.

She wasn't happy for the reminder that their date was coming to an end. After the shaky start, it had turned out to be a great date. The restaurant and food were perfect as was the music and especially the company. Rick had turned out to be everything she'd thought he was and the attraction that she'd felt almost from the moment they met wasn't just in her head. They hadn't even kissed yet and the man had her feeling things she hadn't felt in a very long time.

She had a feeling the kissing issue was about to be rectified when she turned around and leaned against her door and he simply stood there quietly observing her with those intense eyes of his. She found herself becoming even more lost in them and then he stepped forward until they were standing so close that she felt his body heat radiating off of him.

"And it's all yours…" She wasn't sure if she meant the last question or her body and she honestly didn't care which one he decided to take.

"When can I see you again?" He whispered.

"My week is crazy with the project starting…but I'm free all next weekend," she explained with a smile and he nodded; his gaze dropping to her lips and letting her know how he wanted their date to end but leaving it completely up to her.

"Well…I'm claiming your Saturday night, if you'll have me."

"That sounds good," She leaned in a little closer, their foreheads nearly touching as everything about him flooded her senses. His head moved slightly forward and she couldn't take it any more so she tilted her head and met him halfway.

The moment their lips touched, her eyes fluttered shut and the world around her vanished. She felt his hands come to rest below her ears with his fingertips tangling in her hair and his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. Their breath mingled as his soft, warm lips pressed against hers leaving her feeling like she was floating. Her fingers grabbed on to the lapels of his jacket in an attempt to tether herself to the ground. It didn't help. That flutter she'd been feeling all night had taken flight and she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to come back down. It was the fireworks made out of butterflies that she'd been searching for but never thought she'd find.

A happy sigh parted her lips and he took advantage by capturing her lower lip between his and increasing the urgency of the kiss. Still, she felt him holding back, leaving any escalation completely up to her. As much as she wanted to give in and invite him inside, she knew it was too soon. He was just coming out of a relationship and she couldn't afford to fall in love with him just yet. She was halfway there already and if she invited him in, she was going to be all the way gone. After that, if his break-up ended up being a speed bump instead of a brick wall, it would crush her.

Her unspoken reservations brought the not quite innocent but entirely too brief kiss to an end, and she had to fight against her desire for him that was coursing through her veins. Their noses brushed against each other as they parted, and her eyes slowly opened to find his eyes sparkling back at her. His full lips curved into a shy smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

"The driver is going to leave me if I don't get back over there," he said, regret tingeing his words.

"Yeah, you'd better go," she agreed.

He backed away from her, stumbling a bit at the top step but catching himself before it turned into a full-blown, Hurricane Michonne quality fall.

"Your clumsiness must be catching," he joked, his eyes still trained on her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

"In that case, you'd better watch where you're going," she laughed and it brought a smile back to his face as he carefully backed down the rest of the stairs and landed on the sidewalk. He paused there for a moment, standing there with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and forcing her to realize that he was probably the most handsome man she'd even seen.

"Good night, Michonne," he grinned, "…and thank you for the best first date of my life."

His sincerely spoken words sent warmth traveling through her body. He made her feel like a giddy school girl and she was loving every minute of it.

"Good night, Rick, and same here." He turned around and walked toward the car, giving her one last look over his shoulder before climbing into the backseat.

She watched the car pull away before unlocking her door and stepping inside her home with thoughts of Rick dancing through her head. Laughing to herself, she kicked off her heels and sank into her overstuffed sofa with a smile. A low buzzing from her purse shook her from her haze and she reached over to fish her phone out. She bit her lip to hide her smile when she saw that it was a text from the man dominating her thoughts.

 **Rick: The uber driver is currently playing Barry Manilow. He says we inspired him.**

 **Michonne: hahaha! Are you singing along?**

 **Rick: God, no! It's already been determined that I can't sing for shit. Besides, the driver is doing just fine on his own.**

 **Michonne: Are you almost home?**

 **Rick: Almost.**

 **Michonne: Do you want me to keep to company until you get there?**

She kicked her legs up on the sofa and waited for him to answer, the anticipation and those three dots making her heart beat faster. She hadn't been that excited to trade texts with someone in a very long time.

A blush crept across her body and she smiled, sinking even lower into the cushions of her sofa when his reply finally came through.

 **Rick: I'll always want your company.**

The man had absolutely no chill and she loved it. Her fingers flew across the screen composing her response that she had to delete twice because it revealed a little more than she was ready to reveal. It was too soon to let him know how unsettled he made her feel; too soon to let him know that a little piece of her heart already had his name written on it. So, she kept things light because they were supposed to be taking it slow, even though she already knew that probably wasn't going to last.

 **Michonne: Good because I want yours too.**

 **XXXXX**

 _As always, let me know what you think!_


	12. Chapter 12 - Declarations

_A/N: Thank you for all the feedback, follows, and faves on the last chapter. You all are far too kind and I appreciate it so much! To the guest who mentioned the issue with Moroccan vs. African prints in the last chapter…you were right and I fixed it._

 _This chapter is kinda long to make up for the delay. Also, I changed the rating to M because…reasons. :) and this was my first fic on here and I wasn't sure how things worked then. It probably should've been M from the beginning._

 _ **Chapter 12**_

 _ **Six Weeks Later**_

"Twenty bucks says Glenn and Maggie are engaged by Thanksgiving," Sasha commented, pulling Michonne's attention away from the roadies setting up the stage to her best friend and his girlfriend who were all hugged up at the table next to them.

They were at Eddie's Attic waiting for the alt-country band Abe had scored tickets for all of them to see to take the stage and Rick and Abraham had gone to bar to get more drinks for the group. Maggie was practically in Glenn's lap, leaving her and Sasha virtually alone to talk.

She laughed and shook her head. "No one is taking that bet. We all know that's gonna happen."

Sasha sighed and she nodded her agreement. "Yeah...look at them. At the rate they're going they'll be married by then."

"Exactly...and pregnant by Christmas…," she added.

Sasha glanced back over at Glenn and Maggie who were steadily increasing their PDA levels with every passing minute. The show needed to go ahead and start so the lights could go down limiting people's view of them.

"You're probably right. He should just propose now and get it over with. He's so gone it's almost disgusting to watch," she frowned.

The laugh slipped out of her lips before she could catch it. She was certainly happy for Glenn but those two were so in love that it was almost sickening.

"How are things with you and Rick?" Sasha asked after their laughter died down, and just the mention of his name forced her to seek him out. When she found him standing at the bar laughing at whatever fool thing Abraham was saying while waiting on their drinks, she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face.

"We're not anywhere near Glenn and Maggie but we're having fun," she said, trying not to sound as dreamy as Rick made her feel. Their six weeks together had been practically perfect and every moment they spent together made her want more. The texts after that amazing first date had continued all weekend until he called her Sunday afternoon saying he just wanted to hear her voice and they'd stayed on the phone talking about anything and everything until hers needed to be charged hours later.

They couldn't get enough of each other and their weekend dates quickly expanded to weekday lunches and dinners. It was August in Atlanta and the oppressive heat and humidity had them seeking places to stay cool. Movie theaters were the best followed by restaurants and cafes that satisfied the foodie in both of them. She'd helped him shop for furnishings for his new home and after he'd closed on it a couple weeks ago, she'd spent a blissful Saturday singing along badly to 80s music and helping him paint.

Now, he was all moved in and the housewarming cook out was the next day. He'd already met all of her friends and they'd all been invited but she hadn't met his friends yet and they were coming as were his parents. Meeting his family took them way past just having fun and she wasn't sure what to think about all that. There was still some uncertainty about how she'd be introduced to his parents. Was she his girlfriend...his friend...

She'd never really been one for labels but with every passing day she became more invested in defining what they were. That said, the friendship they'd cultivated while dating was different than anything she'd ever experienced with a guy she was seeing. She genuinely loved being around him and it was because of more than just his piercing blue eyes and crooked smile.

Sasha smiled and shook her head.

"Having fun my ass…y'all are only five steps behind those two if that. I saw you at game night Monday. You can barely keep your eyes off each other."

She felt a blush creep across her cheeks at the memory of game night popped into her mind, more for the aftermath than the actual event. It wasn't a Spades week so that showdown was still pending, but he made an excellent Taboo partner and they destroyed everyone who dared challenge them. The only issue was that the game required them to sit about as far apart as possible and put a stop to little touches he liked to bestow on her whenever they were together. A hand on the small of her back as they walked through a doorway, fingertips on her bare knee in a movie theater, holding hands across the table at dinner…

The lack of those touches made their goodnight kiss turn into a full blown make out session that ended up with her underneath him on her couch...sure, they were friends but they were the kind of friends who kissed and felt each other up every now and then too.

"You seem happy. I've only been around Rick a few times but I think he's good for you," Sasha continued, pulling her out of her Rick Grimes induced reverie.

She grinned and nudged her friends arm. "Uh oh…I swore I'd never trust your judgement when it came to relationships ever again."

Sasha groaned and rolled her eyes. "You're never going to let that whole Mike thing go, are you?"

Her smile faded at the mention of Mike who was being civil enough to keep things mostly professional at work but still petty enough to relish every opportunity he had to be a jackass toward her. If he fought with her and Glenn about the need for more backing structure underneath the new loft office space, she was going to lose her shit.

She closed her eyes and pushed work out of her mind. They were supposed to be out having fun and she wasn't about to let Mike ruin it.

"Never! I'm going to hold that one against you until we're old and grey," she laughed.

"Fine," huffed her friend, "Back to your man over there…I'm judging by that sexy, bow legged walk of his that he can put it down in the bedroom..."

"Sasha..."

"I'm not asking you for details, just confirmation."

She knew she wasn't going to be able to make it out of that conversation without coming clean. Sasha could be very tenacious when it came to some things. Especially things related to their people's sex lives...or in her case, lack there of.

She sighed and the grin on Sasha's face morphed into a full blown smile as she waited for confirmation of her theory. She was going to be disappointed when she found out that there honestly wasn't anything to tell.

"We haven't...we're taking things slow," she said and as expected, the smile fell from Sasha's face and was replaced with obvious confusion.

"Remind me again how long you've been seeing each other…"

She shifted in her seat and glanced over to the bar to see if the guys were on their way back to save her from this conversation but no such luck. They were still waiting for drinks and Sasha was still waiting for an answer.

"Six weeks…," she finally answered and Sasha's mouth formed a perfect little O as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "What? There's nothing wrong with moving slow. We've been getting to know each other…"

Sasha shrugged and nodded. "There's nothing wrong with it! Just...that's not slow. It's glacial. I salute you though; you're a much stronger woman than I would be. Look at him over there…standing at the bar looking like he stepped off the pages of GQ. I woulda been jumped him by now."

She tried to play it cool but Sasha was right. Seeing Rick standing over there with a couple days growth on his cheeks wearing a thin black t shirt with a pair of jeans that clung to his muscular thighs did things to her. In all honesty, she wasn't sure how she'd held out as long as she had. Every date they went on brought them closer to that imaginary line that she was desperate not to cross too soon but her resolve was cracking and the breaking point was near.

She knew if she was feeling slightly frustrated, he probably was too but you'd never be able to tell. He looked at her like she was the most rare and special thing he'd ever laid eyes on. Every time she brought their heated make out sessions to a close, he'd only smile at her and rest his forehead against hers until he regained enough control to leave her.

"I just want to be sure before I fall in…," she paused before the word slipped out but Sasha caught it and raised an eyebrow. Before her friend could go down that path, she quickly continued, "…in too deep with him. He's coming out of a long term relationship and I don't want to be a footnote on his way back to his ex."

"Michonne…I know I lost my privileges for giving relationship advice but you're kidding yourself if you think not sleeping with him is going to stop you from falling in love with him. I see the way you look at him. You're already there."

She opened her mouth to counter her friend's analysis but the guys were heading back to the table. Rick's eyes caught hers and she watched as a slow smile spread across his face. His gaze traced over the angles of her face and landed on her lips before tacking back up to her eyes. It was dark, but she thought she saw a slightly pinkish tinge appear on his cheeks.

She bit her lip to stop her own silly grin from spreading and she realized that no matter what lies she was telling herself, Sasha was right. She'd been falling in love with him from their first date, possibly before that if she was being completely honest with herself.

He placed their drinks on the table before sliding into the chair next to hers and draping his arm across the back of her chair. Her hair was up in a bun and his hand rested on the nape of her neck and his fingers gently rubbed against her skin. Sasha and Abe faded away as she allowed herself to be swept up in him.

"Sorry it took so long. The line at the bar is crazy," he explained and she nodded.

"I saw that but I still missed you though…" she said.

"Well, we can't have that," he smiled, before slowly brushing his lips against hers. Her fingertips found the scruff on his face, indulging in the prickly roughness as she surrendered to the wonderful feeling of his soft lips pressed against hers.

The lights going down and the band coming onstage pulled them apart but he grabbed her hand and held on to it as the band eased into the first song. Her head fell against his shoulder and she settled in for the show, her mind racing with all the reasons she should keep taking things slow with him and the one reason why she couldn't anymore.

 _ **How much sound 'til my name starts breaking**_

 _ **My hearts all done and it's yours for the taking**_

 _ **All my life I've never seen so much light**_

 _ **The way back home's through the wild and the winds**_

 _ **The way back home's in your arms**_

 _ **All my life I've been searching for something and**_

 _ **I could never get it right**_

 _ **I could never get it right**_

 _ **I could never get it right**_

 _ **And then I found you, I've never seen so much light**_

 _ **Seen so much light**_

 _ **So much light**_

It was too late. She was already past the point of no return and if he went back to his ex without sharing her bed, she'd still be devastated. Whether she was ready to admit it to him was still up for debate, but she was completely and irrevocably in love with him and admitting that to herself was a huge step in the right direction.

 _ **XXX**_

"I'll be back in a minute," she said but he couldn't let go of her hand. Not yet anyway. Not before lifting her wrist to his lips and planting a kiss there. Her perfume was especially intoxicating right there, reminding him of a hot summer night with the scent of honeysuckle heavy in the air. He loved the surprised look she always got when he did things like that. Her dark eyes would go wide and the corners of her lips would turn up in a small smile. He'd known her for a little longer than six weeks and he was still stunned by her beauty every day; wondering what he'd done to deserve her presence in his life.

"I'll be here," he answered, finally releasing her to go to the ladies room with Sasha. She turned to walk away, threading her arm through her friend's as they walked away whispering and giggling to each other. A calm smile drifted across his face as he watched her, and while part of it was because of the way her hips moved in her tight jeans and high heels, most of it was because seeing her happy was everything he wanted.

"Rick!"

He blinked at the sound of his name and turned around to find his sister with her arms folded across her chest and her eyes narrowed.

"Sorry, Maggie. What were you saying?" He asked, his mind still stuck on Michonne.

"I asked what time do you want us at the house tomorrow," she said, reminding him that she and Michonne had volunteered to come over early to help him get things ready for the housewarming party. He also knew if Maggie was coming, Glenn would be there too.

"The party starts at 5 so 3, I guess? There's not that much to do…"

"I'll see about that when I get there. I'm sure you forgot a few things," she teased, grabbing Glenn's hand and tugging him over. "We're going to take off. Tell Michonne we said bye."

"I will…," he reached over to shake Glenn's hand and remembered the contracts he and Michonne had asked him to take a look at. Ever since word spread about their CDC contract, offers of work were pouring into their firm but the CDC money was covering most of their debt and operating costs leaving them only slightly in the black. They still couldn't afford a lawyer so he was moonlighting as the firm's attorney by reviewing contracts and offers as to make sure they were in their best interest. "Glenn, I took a look at the offer you sent. I think the deal is good and it definitely benefits you guys, but there are some things in the fine print we should talk about."

Glenn smiled and nodded. "We'll talk about it on Monday. I think you have enough on your plate this weekend with the party. Maybe I'll force you and Michonne to stick around for a working lunch at the office."

He'd been kidnapping Michonne from her office as often as he could for lunch creating a routine that Glenn obviously recognized.

"Sounds good. I'll be there around 12:30 but don't tell her. I like surprising her," he laughed.

"Man, she starts looking out that window around noon in anticipation of you showing up. I think she almost expects you now," said Glenn, shaking his head.

He sighed and nodded. It probably didn't help that he always texted her when something was going on that would stop him from showing up. Still, if she did know he was coming she never let on. She always greeted him with the same wide smile that made his heart skip a few beats and that was enough for him.

"You guys are so cute together," Maggie smiled, holding on tighter to Glenn's arm and making both men blush for completely different reasons. "We better go. See you tomorrow, bro."

"See ya then," he answered as they walked toward the door. Glenn was good for Maggie. He was calm and steady and that was exactly what a spitfire like her needed. He could take her at her worst and challenge her without getting too upset about it and he was completely smitten by her. Deep down, he knew Glenn was destined to be his future brother-in-law. The only question was when it was going to happen.

"Are you ready to go?"

He turned around to find Michonne smiling up at him and he immediately reached for her hand because he couldn't stand to be that close to her without touching her.

"Yeah. Glenn and Maggie took off," he said.

"So did Sasha and Abe. They told me to tell you they'd see you at the party tomorrow," she replied with a nod.

"I'm supposed to tell you the exact same message from Glenn and Maggie…"

"Well…I guess that's our sign that date night has come to a close…"

He reached down and threaded their fingers together.

"Looks like it. C'mon, our ride should be here by now."

He led her outside where the Uber was already waiting and they climbed in the back headed for her place. He wanted to kiss her, but he settled for holding her hand in backseat of the car even though kissing Michonne had become his favorite thing to do. He took every opportunity he could to press his lips against hers and revel in the warmth he found there. Even in the beginning, when their kisses were tentative but filled with promises of what they would one day become, her lips were all he could think about.

Then, their kisses escalated giving him even more to think about. Their first frenzied make out session happened at the end of date three when she parted her lips beneath his and traced his bottom lip with her tongue. It was an invitation he'd eagerly accepted, and it seemed like the natural progression of their relationship. Since then, their kisses had become deeper and more desperate and every make out session went a little further than the last. They'd never let it go too far though and it usually ended with both of them clinging to each other while trying to regain some semblance of control.

So when they got to her house, he walked her to her door just like always planning to simply kiss her good night because it was already so late. Then he would climb back into his Uber and go home alone where a cold shower would have to settle him down for the night.

They made it to her door and she turned around, bringing her hands up to gently cup his face. She smiled at him and the swirls of lust and desire he saw in her eyes nearly made him weak. There was something different in that look, something he'd never seen before but before he could even get his head around that look, she tilted her head and covered his mouth with hers in a hungry kiss.

Her mouth was so warm, the caress of her lips softer and more magical than he remembered. His lips parted beneath hers with a low moan as he reached for her hips and pulled her body flush against his. She tasted like the wine she had at the concert, tangy with a hint of sweetness and he was instantly intoxicated by her. Wrestling control of the kiss away from her, he savored her lips and her tongue; the quickening of her breath inspiring him to keep going.

Her hands left his face to slide to the back of his neck and he felt her fingers playing with his hair back there. He kissed her fully then; going deeper than all of the oceans on earth and drowning there. The kiss was luxurious to the point of extravagance and he didn't care. He would spend days kissing her like that if given the opportunity.

He was blinded by his desire to feel her, to move his hands up over her hips and under her light, summer blouse to graze her skin which was prickled with goosebumps. She shivered beneath his touch and it only made him want to touch her more.

Suddenly, she broke the kiss to catch her breath and the sight of her disheveled and panting with her dilated pupils and her lips swollen from kissing, made his heart race.

"Can you wait here…for just a minute?" She asked, a shy smile gracing her full lips and he could only nod because his brain was completely incapable of sending any words down to his mouth.

She disappeared inside and he used that time to try getting himself together. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths to slow the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He couldn't remember a woman ever making him feel as out of control as she did. She was like a drug and whenever they were apart, he was like a junkie dying for another fix. It hadn't been hard to admit to himself that he was in love with her, but admitting it to her was something altogether different. She was still taking things slow and telling her he'd fallen in love with her probably wasn't on the slow side.

He was more than a little confused when she reappeared on the porch a moment later, carrying an overnight bag.

"What's that?" He asked and she smiled and took his hand before leading him dumbly back to where the car was waiting.

"I was thinking…that maybe I could spend the night at your place. If…if that's something you'd want…," she explained and as her meaning dawned on him, his legs stopped working and the gears inside his head came grinding to a halt. He tried not to be presumptuous, but it was hard not to be. She'd asked to spend the night with him and while her request could be taken at face value, her nervous smile and wide eyes told him otherwise. He clung tightly to her hand, his mind racing with the implications of what she was saying. She'd asked to spend the night with him and while her request could be taken at face value, her nervous smile and wide eyes told him otherwise.

"Rick?" She asked, her smile fading and being replaced by a hint of embarrassment that he never wanted to see on her face.

He squeezed her hand and forced his mouth to start working again.

"Yeah…yes…I want that…," he whispered and he saw the relief wash across her features.

"Then, we should go," she said, trying to continue their progress to the the car but even though his brain had caught up, he still couldn't move.

"Michonne…" he breathed, needing to be sure that where they were headed was where she really wanted to go. "Are you sure?"

She turned around and tucked a stray loc behind her ear and smiling brightly at him. "I…I love you so yeah. I'm sure," she whispered and those words nearly brought him to his knees.

"You love me?" He asked, unable to hide the smile that he knew was stretched out across his face.

"Yeah…," she nodded and he didn't think it was possible for him to feel any happier than he did right in that moment.

He finally moved from the spot she'd stunned him into and rushed forward to open the car door so she could climb inside.

"Good. Because I love you too."

 _ **XXX**_

She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror thinking about what made her decide that the time was finally right. Deep down she knew it was more than just her conversation with Sasha or the latest wonderful night together in a long line of wonderful nights. Maybe it was because she'd wanted him since the moment they'd crashed into each other in the bookstore…

More likely, it was because she finally admitted to herself that she loved him. Somewhere over their six weeks together, she'd fallen head over heels in love with him. It wasn't any one thing that made it happen, it was everything; every little thing she learned about him, every time he wanted to learn more about her, every laugh they shared, every touch, every kiss, and dozens of other little things that made her adore him and she couldn't hide it anymore.

He was waiting for her in the bedroom right outside the door and she'd stripped down to just a t shirt and panties to make it a little easier on him when she went back in there. After letting her hair down and brushing her teeth for a little too long, she was finally ready.

Her heartbeat kept a fast staccato as she opened the door to find him sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her. He was only wearing a pair of grey pajama bottoms leaving his chest bare and causing her to suck in her breath at that marvelous sight. She felt his eyes appraising her from her feet all the way up her body and when their eyes met, he blushed and swallowed hard.

"How long was I in there?" She asked, trying to bring the tension in the air around them down enough so she could breathe.

He ran a hand through his hair and gave her a crooked smile that brought a little bit of that tension back. Those half smiles of his would be the death of her, she just knew it.

"About twenty minutes," he said, his eyes glowing with amusement. "I was about to mount a search party."

"It's your fault for having my favorite toothpaste," she joked and he responded with a laugh.

"Spearmint and baking soda…I remember," he said and her heart swelled at how he always seemed to remember the little things about her. That was just a throwaway piece of information she'd mentioned after eating way too much garlic chicken at lunch one day but he remembered and she'd never stop appreciating that.

She crossed the room and stood nervously in front of him, twisting the hem of her shirt in her hands.

"You know...we don't have to…," he said, covering her hands with his. He was looking up at her with so much love and concern in his eyes and it only made her love him more.

"I want to…," she answered, shaking her head. "…it's just that it's been a long time for me and I'm a little nervous."

He smiled and his hands moved to rest on her hips.

"I'll take care of you…," he murmured and she smiled gratefully.

"I know you will…"

He nodded, and she took a deep breath and moved closer, her hands resting on his shoulders as she eased into straddling his lap. His hands remained on her hips like he was waiting for her signal before moving.

"God, you're beautiful…," he said and she smiled before lowering her lips inches above his. Her hair fell around them, effectively shutting out everything except their shallow breaths and their rising heartbeats. "I could look into your eyes a thousand times and always see something different..."

"What do you see right now?" She asked, her hands moving to the back of his neck where her fingers twisted through his silky curls.

He stared at her silently for just a moment before his fingers tightened on her skin.

"I see love," he said and the love she saw in his hit her with the force of a hurricane, sweeping away any hesitation that she had left.

Their eyes remained locked on each other until fluttering closed the moment she leaned forward and captured his mouth with her own. The heat was nearly instantaneous and more combustible than any of their previous kisses. His arm wrapped around her back, holding her to him while his other hand moved lower, gathering a handful of her backside and pushing her against his hardening length. The delicious friction between their bodies demanded more and her hips started moving on their own accord trying to satisfy that desire.

She was quickly getting swept away by a sea of pleasure and she had to break the kiss to catch her breath. He wasted no time in attacking her neck with his lips and tongue stoking the fire that was already burning hot in her belly. It was almost too hot and she paused just long enough to pull her shirt over her head and bare herself to him while trying desperately not to lose contact with him for very long.

"Damn…," he whispered, before pulling his lip through his teeth and grinning appreciatively.

"You see something you like?" She asked and he nodded, gently cupping her breasts in his strong hands.

"I'm seeing a lot of things I like…," he flirted.

She gasped as his mouth left a trail of fire down her throat to her breasts. He took one in his mouth and suckled it hungrily before turning his attention to the other and giving it the same loving attention. Then, his teeth raked across her too-sensitized nipples and the steadily growing tension inside of her became so tight that she was sure she would snap. Her fingers became tangled in his hair as his mouth laid claim to her body.

Before she knew what was really happening, he secured her in his arms and rose from the bed just long enough to flip their positions. She sank into his plush bedding with him draped over her like a blanket. His skin slid against hers as he continued exploring her body and she relished the way the sinewy muscles of his back felt beneath her fingers. He felt so good and she was getting lost in all of it as his lips traced her stomach and lower; the scruff on his face scratching lightly against her…

The laugh burst from her before she could get the words out. "Ri-rick…stop…I…"

He stopped what he was doing and lifted his head, the mixture of confusion and concern on his face making her laugh even more.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"I'm fine…your face…it's ticklish…," she laughed, trying to hang on to her composure.

He raised an eyebrow before lowering his face back to her stomach.

"Ticklish, huh…," he dragged his cheek across her skin and the sensation made her wiggle beneath him.

"Yes! Please…I can't take it…"

"Ok, ok…I guess I'll give you some relief…from tickling anyway…" He sat up on his knees and grabbed hold of her to still her movements. His fingers brushed against her pelvis on their way to the waistband of her panties. Her laughter trailed off as he slowly slid them off her hips, and down her legs before tossing them to the side.

Their eyes met and the blatant lust in his made her bite her lip in anticipation of what he was planning to do to her. He gave her another one of those cocky grins of his before pushing her knees apart and dropping his head to continue his exploration of her. She heard a soft whimper and was almost surprised to realize it was her own as the scruff on his face scratched against her inner thighs when he finally tasted her. Her eyes clenched shut and she threw her head back against the pillows as she was overcome by the unbelievable amounts of pleasure he was giving her.

It didn't take long for her to be reduced to a trembling mess at the mercy of his talented tongue but he didn't stop until she used her fingers in his hair to tug his face back up to hers and kissed him, tasting herself on his lips.

"You're really good at that but I want to feel you...let me feel you…," she pleaded, wondering how she'd become the wanton woman spread before him. A shiver worked its way through her as she pushed his pajama bottoms down his narrow hips and removing the last thing separating them.

He left her for just a moment, and she heard the telltale sound of foil tearing before he reclaimed his position on top of her.

"Whatever you want, baby." He assured, moving his hardness against her and sliding in the moisture he had created and added to; not yet inside her, but close enough to tease and tantalize.

"Rick…I…" The rest was lost in a sharp cry as he slipped inside of her. Filling and stretching her just short of discomfort. She pried her eyes open to see him hovering over her. His own eyes were closed in concentration, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. Just that, just entering her had her so close she felt a tear slip from the corner of her eye. His breath was ragged as he paused; finally opening his eyes, he looked down at her.

"Are you ok?" His voice was tight and rough like it was taking everything in him to focus on coherent thought. She answered by raising her hips up to meet his, making it necessary for him to take a moment to regain his concentration and restraint.

"I'm good…," she breathed, thrusting her hips and drawing him deeper inside of her.

"Yeah, you are…," He sucked his breath between his teeth and began moving his hips, and and setting a torturous pace. Suddenly his mouth was on hers…his body covering hers totally...as he kissed her deeply, his breathing as ragged as hers. "Michonne…you feel so good…," he mumbled between thrusts.

"You…too…," she moaned, her words even more breathy and labored than his.

He kept moving, slowly at first; and she felt every ridge, every inch of him within her. She moved with him, her hands gripping his firm ass and urging him on. He was almost out of her before he slammed home. Hard, fierce, fast. Her legs tensed around his hips as her entire body coiled like a spring waiting to be tripped at any second. His kisses, licks and nibbles against her neck as his body claimed hers helped push her even closer.

His name reverently poured from her lips as he increased the tempo; rocking back and forth on the bed as she gripped him tightly, soft whimpers breaking free to be matched by his own moans.

She was beyond the ability to speak. He did it again. And again. She felt the first waves of completion hit her; contract around her so tightly that for a second she honestly worried about passing out. Then, the full sensation rushed through her and it rocked her body and soul. Her whole body shook and she had no control. Her fingers dug into his hips, her heels sank into his back, and it didn't stop. It kept going on and on. The world was lost in a kaleidoscope of color behind her eyelids. The only thing she was aware of was the unbearable pleasure, the constant, unending rapture as her body tightened and tightened and tightened.

She heard him swallow deeply; his face buried in the side of her neck, close enough that she could hear his every anguished breath.

He was moving again. She was still shaking as he thrust again, hard and fierce, driving, animalistic. He kept repeating her name like a prayer in a broken, drawl that kept her body fluttering, and clenching all around him. Just a few more times and his cry matched hers. Falling atop her, with his cheek resting against her breast, he let out one long, weary groan of completion.

She ran her fingers through his slightly damp hair as they both took time to recover their senses. After a few minutes, he slid off of her and gathered her seemingly boneless body in his arms. He kissed her neck, her cheek, her chin, and finally ended up back at her mouth.

"Jesus…you're amazing…," he said once he'd regained the ability to speak.

"I should be saying that because that one was all you," she smiled.

He hugged her closer to him and she felt the soft rumble of his laughter.

"Maybe you can make it up to me later," he sighed and she held on to him a little tighter.

"We'll see…," she laughed but even she knew they had a long night ahead of them and there were a few other things she'd like to try.

 _XXX_

"I have to say…that was the best housewarming present you could've given me."

She laughed and slapped at his chest.

"Oh my god…shut up!"

"What? I'm serious!" He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"That was not your housewarming gift! Helping you paint almost every room in this huge house of yours was your gift," she said, reminding him of the weekend they'd spent painting. She'd slept over then too, after drinking too much beer with their pizza, but it was under very different circumstances.

The furniture still hadn't been delivered and the whole house smelled like paint so they'd slept in the hammock in the backyard. It had been warm, but the humidity had been low and after reassuring her for about twenty minutes that between the privacy fence and the security system that they'd be just fine sleeping out there, she'd taken a shower and borrowed one of his t shirts and a pair of shorts to sleep in. The clothes were swimming on her but he thought she looked absolutely adorable.

They'd curled up together and allowed a gentle summer breeze to lull them to sleep, and that night, while holding her in his arms and looking up at the stars before falling asleep, he realized he'd fallen in love with her.

"…and I loved every minute of that weekend but having you here like this…well…I love this just a little bit more," he whispered, trying to reconcile the fact that while the two times he'd held her like that were completely different, they were equally satisfying.

"You know we can't stay in bed all day. It's already noon…"

He looked over and frowned at the sunlight pouring through the blinds. Sunlight meant they had to leave their little cocoon and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Just a little while longer…," he suggested while turning over so she was pinned underneath him and she wasn't surprised to feel how adamant he was about staying in bed pressing against her thigh.

"We need food…," she giggled, but he kept right on trying to distract her by placing kisses along her collarbone and the hollow of her throat.

"We can order in…," he countered, his hands joining his mouth in it's trek across her body.

"You have guests arriving later for the party…"

He tugged the sheet down and moved his lips between her perfect breasts.

"We can reschedule…"

"You have an answer for everything today…"

Her frustrated sigh only made him want to keep being contrary.

"They say endorphins make the synapses in your brain fire faster…," he explained not knowing where he'd grabbed that line of bullshit from. She must've known it was bullshit too because her laugh sounded a little too amused.

"I don't think that's how that works…"

He knew she was right and they had to get out of bed but he wanted to play with her a little bit longer.

"Either way, I'm pretty high on endorphins right now…," he said as he reached her stomach and ignited the same response in her that he had the night before. Her laughter was like music to his ears.

"Rick! Stop…we can't reschedule the party. Your parents are coming…"

"Fine…" he groaned, rolling off of her and covering his eyes with his arm. "I guess you're right."

He felt the bed shift and he knew that meant she was getting up. He uncovered his eyes and was greeted by the smooth skin of her bare back.

She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a half smile.

"You know…we never did test this shower to see if it was big enough for two…"

He licked his lips and smiled.

"Michonne Bishop…I love the way you think…"

 **XXX**

After a long and extremely luxurious shower, they enjoyed a slow afternoon finishing up the last few things for the party. Rick spent most of his time getting the grill ready while she worked on the playlist, insisting that it was the playlist and not the food that would make the party a success. He'd laughed and gone back to what he was doing and by the time Maggie and Glenn got there, everything was basically ready.

It was a potluck; Rick was providing meat and drinks but everyone was supposed to bring side dishes and desserts. Once people started arriving, she was blown away by the variety of food they had. She kept snagging bits here and there between being introduced to all of Rick's friends. She was currently in a lull and trying her best to find Glenn.

She exhaled in relief when she found Glenn standing over near the

grill with a plate piled high with a little bit of everything. She was even more relieved when she realized that Maggie wasn't around. There was something very important she needed to discuss with him and if Maggie was around, she wasn't going to be able to do it.

Rushing through the guests enjoying food and beer, she took note of the fact that everyone seemed to be enjoying the playlist she'd cultivated for the party. It was a mixture of a little bit of something for everyone but at that moment, Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince was playing and it complimented the chill party vibes nicely.

The heat wasn't so oppressive being so late in the day, and the shade in the yard helped things immensely. Her long, flowy, sleeveless dress and the icy cold beer in her hand was helping her stay cool too.

She knew a grand total of five people but everyone she'd met seemed nice enough. Rick's best friend Shane hadn't arrived yet and neither had his parents. The latter was the reason she was currently seeking out Glenn like a heat seeking missile.

Glenn looked up from his plate when he saw her approaching and she must've had a very determined look on her face because he immediately frowned like he was worried about being pulled into something he wanted no parts of.

"Michonne…what are you up to? You've got that look on your face…," he said as he washed down his food with a beer.

"What look?" She asked.

Glenn looked at her with disbelief written all over his face.

"You know…the crazy determined one that usually means the wheels in your head are turning in overtime," he laughed.

"Well…I need you to brief me on Rick's parents. You've met them, right?"

Glenn nodded, "Yeah, Maggie and I go over for dinner on Sundays. I can't figure out why he hasn't invited you yet…"

"He did…," she interrupted, wanting to make sure that he didn't think Rick was trying to hide her. "…but meeting his parents seemed like a big step and we..."

It was Glenn's turn to interrupt. "I know, I know...you two are taking it slow..."

She shook her head. "But we're not any more…," she said but from he way Glenn's eyes widened, she knew she needed to clarify. "I mean...we're not speeding down the highway like you and Maggie but we're going at a reasonable pace."

Glenn held up his hand, "I don't need details..just...I'm happy for you. Isn't it weird how we both found pretty amazing people at the same time?"

"I know…and who would've thought we'd date siblings? I mean…that is kinda weird, right?"

Glenn laughed and shrugged. "A little bit…but it's cool, right? Not having to worry about the people we date caring if we hang out too much…"

"Yeah, I think Amy hated me," she commented, remembering the skinny blonde and her icy stares a little too much.

Glenn raised an eyebrow. "Not as much as Spencer hated me," he said and Michonne couldn't argue. Spencer never could understand why she had a guy as her best friend and would make snide comments about it all the time. She should've dumped him long before he walked out on her.

"So...you want the goods on Phillip and Celine?" He asked and pulled her out of her deep thoughts and reminding her that she was about to meet Rick's parents.

"Yes! They'll be here any minute!" She exclaimed, making Glenn laugh at her again. She didn't know why she was so nervous but she really wanted to make a good impression on them.

"They're good people. Phillip is stoic but that's probably because I'm dating his little girl...and Celine is bubbly. She's a hugger so watch out. They've been harassing Rick about you for weeks so be prepared for a lot of attention," he warned.

"What do you mean harassing him?"

Glenn shrugged, "Maggie let it slip that he'd been seeing someone and ever since Celine has been asking a lot of questions. Sunday dinners have become an inquisition for him."

"He hasn't said anything…," she said, trying to recall Rick mentioning anything about his parents giving him a hard time and she came up empty.

"C'mon, Michonne. He knew you wanted to go slow so letting his parents pressure you through him probably wasn't an option."

She blushed fiercely, knowing that Glenn was more than likely right. "He really is one of the good ones, isn't he?" She mused and Glenn nodded.

"He is…so don't screw it up," he said with a grin.

"I'm doing my best not to," she said, reaching over to swipe the last egg roll off his plate. He swatted at her hand too late and she popped it into her mouth victoriously. "Tell your mom her Mandu is delicious as always."

"I will…you know, we haven't had a Glenn and Michonne night in a long time. I may be able to convince her to make more…," he offered.

"Yeah, we're way overdue for Margaritas, Mandu, and Movies at Michonne's." Mandu and movies had been a tradition for them since they were kids and the margaritas were added after she moved back to Atlanta after college. With all the work being put into getting the firm off the ground, game nights, and new relationships, they hadn't been able to just catch up and decompress. It had always been time for the two of them to just hang out and she didn't realize how much she missed it until he brought it up.

"How about we make next Saturday night Grimes free and hang out. Just us," he said and she immediately agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

"Sounds good!"

She looked out at the back yard and saw Rick smiling at her from near the hammock.

"Michonne! Come over here! I want you to meet someone…," he yelled and she raised her hand to let him know she was on her way.

"I'll talk to you later. Looks like duty calls…," she said and started walking away from the deck and Glenn.

"That's what happens when you're the host's girlfriend!" He joked, earning him a glance over her shoulder and a childish stuck out tongue.

She heard Glenn laughing as she covered the distance between her and Rick. He was chatting animatedly with a man with closely cropped dark hair and a slightly larger build than him.

He reached for her hand and pulled her into his side as soon she got there, smiling broadly before turning back to his friend.

"Shane Walsh, this is Michonne Bishop. My…" He paused and brought her hand up to his lips, and even though they hadn't talked about it, from the look in his eyes she knew exactly what he was going to say. "…girlfriend. Michonne, this is my best friend, Shane."

She tried to push her joy over Rick referring to her as his girlfriend long enough to greet his friend but she liked the way it sounded coming from him a little too much. "Nice to meet you, Shane."

"You too, Michonne. Rick tells me that you may know more about the Falcons than anyone he's ever met. Now, I'd believe that if he was just talking about himself, but I think he forgot to include me in that statement."

She glanced over at Rick who was watching them with a grin. From past experiences with men like Shane, she'd found the best way to deal with them was to play with them a little bit.

"Really?" She asked, returning his grin. "I think he did include you and I still win."

His eyes narrowed for just a second but his smirk remained firmly in place. "You wanna back up all that talk with a wager?"

"I thought there had to be a little bit of chance involved to call it a wager," she challenged, and Rick cleared his throat trying hide his laugh.

She could tell Shane wasn't going to back down. This was like his version of a making sure she was good enough for his friend and she was more than willing to play along.

He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and tilted his head to one side.

"I'm sure there's more than a chance that you don't know who Matt Ryan threw his first touchdown pass to…"

She had to bite her lip to not laugh in his face. "You mean the 62 yard pass to former Buckeye Michael Jenkins on his first throw in the NFL? You're gonna have to try harder than that…"

Both of Shane's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as a shit eating grin stretched across his lips.

"Well…shit," he laughed and slapped Rick's arm. "You weren't exaggerating about this one!"

Rick shrugged, "I told you, man! She's amazing…"

Maggie running off the deck and grabbing Rick's arm interrupted him before he could finish.

"Rick! Mom and dad are here and they brought enough food to feed a small army," she announced and Rick groaned a little bit shaking his head.

"Mom gets so carried away. Let me go help them...then I'll bring them out here," he explained and the anticipation she'd been carrying around all day at the thought of meeting his parents came back with a vengeance.

She nodded and he leaned in to kiss her cheek before smiling at Shane.

"Don't hurt his feelings too bad, Michonne. His ego may never recover," he warned, before Maggie dragged him toward the house and left her standing with a still smirking Shane.

"What?" She asked and he shook his head and tried to look innocent but she doubted he had that in him.

"Nothing! It's just that when he left the office on Friday, you were the woman he's seeing and now you're his girlfriend. I'm just shocked over how fast things change around here."

She refused to go down that path with a man she barely knew even if he was Rick's best friend and she could already tell that Shane was going to be a character.

Dodging his prying, she asked, "Sooo…how long have you and Rick been friends?"

Shane shrugged and took a long swig of his beer.

"Since high school. My family moved here from Savannah when I was 15 and it was hard being the new kid in a school like Woodward Academy. Rick was...that guy in high school…class president, captain of the baseball team, Dean's list, prom king..."

"Really?" She didn't mean to sound so surprised but she'd never pictured Rick as the big man on campus in high school. Now that Shane had put that image in her head, she was going to have a hard time getting rid of it.

"Oh yeah, you didn't know you're dating a golden boy?"

She shook her head, laughing. "I guess I didn't..."

"Your boy over there was Mr. Popular and he invited me to sit with him and his friends on my first day. The rest is history. We went to different colleges and law schools but somehow we both ended up right here in Atlanta working for the same law firm."

"It must've been fate,"

Shane laughed and shook his head. "Truth is, he can't stand to be away from me for too long. I should be grateful though. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have met my wife."

Since he'd opened that door, she decided to step right on through.

"Rick told me your wife is his ex's best friend. I hope that doesn't mean we can't be friends. I would hate to come between the two of you."

"You get right to the point, don't you…,"

"I like knowing where I stand," she shrugged.

Shane tipped his beer bottle over toward the deck where a blonde woman, who would be pretty if she didn't look so irritated, was tapping away on her phone. "That's my wife Andrea over there staring at her phone. She actually agreed to come with me today but if I'd known she was going to act like a snot, I woulda left her ass at home. I mean, I love her but she's Team Lori all the way," he explained.

"Maybe you could introduce me? You know, break the ice a little bit…," she suggested, but she knew that was a bad idea as soon as the word left her lips. From the look on Shane's face, he was thinking the same thing.

"Nah…she ain't ready for all that yet. But don't you worry about any of that coming between me and Rick. I haven't seen him this relaxed and happy in a long time and it's all because of you. So I hope I can get to know you and we can be friends because I'm Team Rick and he's completely Team Michonne."

She smiled and knowing that Rick had a friend like Shane made her happy. He had his back even against his wife and that said a whole lot about their relationship.

"Andie will come around…eventually…but I should get over there to her," he continued, "She's giving me the evil eye for fraternizing with the enemy."

She glanced over to where his wife was standing and he wasn't kidding. The look she was sending his way was armor piercing.

"I'm sorry…," she began but he shook his head and twisted his lips in a cocky grin that she was starting to realize was his trademark.

"Don't be. I know how to handle my wife if you catch my drift."

"Oh lord…" She rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath.

"Well, it was nice finally meeting you…I still don't think you know more about the Falcons than I do, Ms. Bishop…"

He was already walking away from her so she shouted at his back, "Keep telling yourself that, Walsh."

Her words halted him for a split second and he shook his head before continuing on his way. She smiled to herself and thought about how much fun she was going to have showing him up all football season long.

 _ **XXX**_

"I'm so glad we're finally meeting you, Michonne! Between Rick, Maggie, and Glenn, we've heard nothing but good things. I'm happy to know they were all true!"

His grip on her hand tightened as he listened to his mom gush over Michonne. He'd known they were going to get along but he didn't know just how much. They'd known each other all of a half hour and his mother was already acting like they were long lost best friends. She'd used his Barry Manilow story to break the ice and she'd been in ever since.

Even his dad was charmed by her, and he was usually the more reserved one. When Michonne started talking to him about how noble it was to be a judge, he could've sworn he saw his dad blush a little.

"Aww…thank you! I'm glad I got to meet you both too. I see why Rick is the wonderful person he is," she said and it sounded like she was just sucking up; but he knew she meant every word and from the smiles on his parent's faces, he knew they did too.

His mother placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Rick, you are bringing Michonne over for Sunday dinner tomorrow, right?"

He glanced at Michonne out of the corner of his eye and not wanting to put her not her spot, he shook his head. "I think Michonne is having dinner with her family tomorrow. I've monopolized enough of her time this weekend."

Michonne shook her head and interrupted them. "Actually, Mrs. Grimes, I was going to ask Rick to come with me tomorrow. It's only fair that I introduce him to my family too."

He stared at her for a moment, her eyes telling him that she wasn't just saying that to look good in front of his family and she wanted him to meet her family just as much as he'd wanted her to meet his. It brought all of his feelings about the last 24 hours to the surface and he was reminded of how happy he was that everything was out in the open between them. They were still getting to know each other but they were in love and admitting that was everything to him.

He was overcome with emotion and he kissed her temple, trying to ignore the way his mother's eyes lit up from watching them.

"Oh that sounds wonderful…and Michonne, you must call me Celine. I demand it!"

Michonne giggled at her demand. "Ok, Celine. I will."

He noticed Shane making his way toward him very quickly with a very frustrated look on his face. Actually, his friend looked pissed and he was instantly concerned.

Shane stepped up onto the deck and gave everyone a tight smile. "Hey y'all…think I can borrow Rick for a minute?"

There was a pause as his mother gave Shane a once over and because she'd known I'm so long, she recognized something was wrong with him too. She was going to open her mouth to say something when his dad cleared his throat.

"Of course, Shane. It'll give us more time to talk to Michonne without Rick looking over our shoulders."

He nodded, thankful that his dad knew to step in before his mom could launch into a full on questioning. He reluctantly let go of Michonne's hand and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'll be back in a sec…," he said and she smiled brightly at him even though he could see the questions in her eyes.

"I'll be here," she said, "…but hurry back, ok?"

"I will."

Shane was already off the deck and storming to the other side of the yard and Rick quickly followed him. Shane kept going until they were far away from any prying ears before turning around, the fury even more evident on his face.

"What the hell, man? You ok?"

Some of the anger dropped from his face and was replaced with a little bit of shame. "Rick…I need to tell you something…"

"What is it?"

"I'm pretty sure Andie has already told Lori about your new girl…"

He started laughing before Shane even finished his sentence. "Is that all? That's nothing to get like this over. She was bound to find out eventually, right?"

Shane nodded and as he spoke, the anger came back. "Sure, but apparently my wife decided that texting her your new address was a good idea and she's on her way over here right now."

His smile fell and he covered his mouth with his hands.

"Shit…," he whispered.

"Exactly. I can't believe she did that. I'm sorry man," Shane was genuinely apologetic but he couldn't focus on helping his friend feel better about being an unwitting part of this betrayal. All he could think about was Michonne and how he was going to tell her that his ex might show up at any minute.

"I need to talk to Michonne…," he whispered.

"It may be too late for that…," Shane mumbled, running a hand over his head.

He followed Shane's stare to the deck where Michonne was still talking to his parents and behind them stood Andrea with Lori at her side.

He sucked in his breath and barely felt Shane's hand on his shoulder. She was staring right at him with a challenging smirk on her face and her arms folded over her middle looking like Maleficent crashing the party in Sleeping Beauty. Maggie watched that movie on repeat when she was a kid and Maleficent had always scared the shit out of him but here he was facing his own version of her.

He must've had a look of extreme duress on his face because he'd gained the attention of both Michonne and his mother. He blinked and tried to focus on Michonne. The little wrinkle between her eyebrows was very prominent and he could tell she was about two seconds from coming off the deck to see what was wrong.

He opened his mouth to speak but but before he could figure out what to say, Maggie burst through the doors glaring at Lori.

"Lori! What in the hell are you doing here?"

Suddenly, all eyes were focused on the deck and a wave of nausea swept over him when he realized there was no way any of this was going to end in his favor.

 ** _XXX_**

 _A/N: Like a bad penny, you knew she was going to turn up and cause trouble. Thank you to Nwfanmega for suggesting Eddie's Attic for a date night. The song the band was playing at the concert was "How Much Light" by Ryan Adams._

 _As always, let me know what you think. I love feedback! Again, I apologize for the delay. I'm a reply slow writer lol. If any of you are reading So Alive, an update is on the way. I promise._


	13. Chapter 13 - Confrontations

_After a hellish bout with writer's block here's a long overdue update. I wrote and deleted this chapter three times because I didn't think it hit the right notes. Let me know how it finally turned out. Thanks for reading this story, following it, favoriting it, and reviewing it! Also, thank you for sticking with me and checking in on me. It really means so much. Knowing I had so many of you waiting on me, helped me get over the hump._

 **Chapter 13: Confrontations**

For a minute, Michonne felt like she was in a movie; or at least one of the telenovelas she would watch when she stayed at her friend Rosita's grandmother's house as a kid. Rick's disgruntled ex was standing on the deck after an arrival that rivaled the most dramatic, soap opera moments. Lori looked the part too; styled impeccably in her designer summer outfit of tailored seersucker shorts with matching jacket and three inch heels.

Poor Rick looked shaken, but also mad as hell; and it looked like Shane was trying his best to talk him down without much success. She was glad he was taking a minute to compose himself. She'd never seen him look that angry and she worried about his ability to deal with Lori without completely losing his cool.

Everyone else was just waiting to see how it all was going to play out. Rick's parents looked scandalized by the whole scene and if they still had any remaining goodwill toward Lori, from the looks on their faces, it was quickly running out. Meanwhile, the rest of the guests who had definitely known Rick and Lori while they were together were all whispering amongst themselves like a bunch of teenage girls. The looks she was getting from them ranged from sympathetic to curious to judgmental, so she was well aware that some of them were putting her in the "home wrecker" role in their version of events.

The day had been going so well, but now she had a headache and she knew that however it played out, it wasn't going to be good. It was already a train wreck but there was still potential for it to get a whole lot worse.

"I knew you were a spoiled brat but showing up here takes it to a whole new level." Maggie spat those words at Lori, letting Michonne know she was the one who was ready and willing to take things to worse. If it wasn't for Glenn holding her hand in a semi-death grip, she probably would've been right up in Lori's airbrushed face.

If Lori was bothered by her, she was doing an excellent job of not showing it. Her smile never faltered, even as Maggie glared at her like she was the devil incarnate.

"I'm disappointed to see that you believe all of the horrible things I know your brother has been saying about me. I thought we were friends, Maggie," said Lori; sounding like she should be an extra on an episode of True Blood.

Only when Maggie erupted into a fit of giggles, did Lori's smirk finally dim; even then it was only slightly.

"Friends? Ha! You were tolerated at best you entitled, little bi…," A clearing of the throat cut Maggie off mid-curse, and Michonne stepped to the side as Celine moved around her toward Maggie.

"Margaret Anne! We did not raise you to behave this way…," said Celine, and Michonne wondered why Rick's mother was suddenly coming to Lori's defense. She wasn't the only one who read Celine's interruption as vindication for Lori because Maggie's eyes widened and her mouth fell open like she'd just received the shock of her life.

"But mom…," Maggie began, but Lori interrupted.

"Thank you, Celine. I'm glad you haven't bought into all this nonsense about me…," she trilled, smiling graciously at Celine like she was her long lost best friend but Celine cut that off with a sharp shake of her head before Lori could even finish getting the words out.

"Lorielle, you misunderstand. I wouldn't take your side over either of my children and my son hasn't said anything about you that your appearance here today doesn't prove accurate. I'm simply trying to not escalate the scene you created," she said, and Michonne bit her lip to hold back the smile that Celine's words brought to her face. "I think you should leave with whatever's left of your dignity before it's too late…if it's not too late already."

Women of Celine's generation did petty in a way that modern women couldn't, and Michonne felt slightly comforted by the fact that Celine hadn't been welcoming to her almost daughter in law. She'd be lying if she didn't say that she was worried about how Rick's parents would react to Lori's presence. If they had been welcoming, she was pretty sure she would've had a long, uphill battle for their approval ahead of her. Michonne was grateful that wasn't going to be the case.

Lori spun around without another word while Celine did her best to calm her daughter down. Phillip, on the other hand, was doing what fathers do best; busying himself with the grill to avoid being dragged into the middle of that hornet's nest. Rick was still standing across the yard with Shane; looking like he was trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation without increasing the drama.

All of that left her even more time to ponder. It had only been a few minutes, but the silent standoff had become oppressive. It allowed time for her mind to run wild with possible explanations for Lori's sudden appearance. She's pregnant! She's dying! She's pregnant and dying! Sure, she may have watched one too many telenovelas, but that didn't change the fact that her life had suddenly turned into one.

No matter what bomb Lori was there to drop, Michonne was sure of one thing: a woman didn't show up at her ex-boyfriend's housewarming party just to say hi. Lori wanted Rick back and whatever insanity that was about to transpire that day was designed around that simple fact.

She'd recognized her from that very first day at the hospital. The tall brunette was just as put together as she'd been that day but something was different. Before, she'd carried herself like she didn't have a care in the world. Now it seemed like she was carrying the weight of disappointment for the first time in her life and it showed in every bit of her appearance. Her shine had dimmed and Michonne wondered if it had been ever really been there to begin with.

Despite that, she was still a pretty woman. She was slim, but she obviously knew how to choose clothes that enhanced that. Her long, mahogany hair was pulled back into a ponytail with fringed bangs framing her face and her golden brown eyes probably made men crazy. Everything about her reminded Michonne of the rich girls she'd known in high school and college who always seemed so nice to your face but turned into vipers behind your back.

She couldn't help but wonder what had brought Lori and Rick together and had kept them together for so long. He was quiet and unassuming while Lori seemed like she would enjoy being the center of attention. He couldn't care less about the finer things in life and Lori seemed to thrive on them. People changed, Michonne knew that, but in this case she wondered which of them had changed the most.

She unconsciously braced herself when Lori turned her head and allowed their eyes to meet for the first time. Lori's expression left little doubt in her mind that she knew exactly who she was and she could only imagine the urgent texts between Lori and her friends describing the "black woman with dreadlocks" Rick had been spotted all over Atlanta with.

Under that recognition, was a burning anger that Lori did nothing to conceal and she felt the burn of it as Lori dragged her eyes across her from head to toe before landing back at her eyes. Before the dismissiveness could settle into her dark eyes, Michonne caught a flash of something else in them and if she didn't know better she could've sworn it was jealousy. It couldn't be that though. Women like Lori didn't get jealous. Women like her only bided their time until they figured out how to take whatever you had that they wanted. It had to be something else...

After a few seconds of just staring at each other, Michonne rolled her eyes, wanting nothing more than for the drama she was currently in the middle of to come to an end and she immediately sought out the only person who could make that happen. She found him, still standing with Shane but she was startled to see that his eyes were on her. His expression had softened from the stone faced one he'd had when he'd seen Lori standing on the deck, but his eyes still burned to the point of making her stomach flutter.

He whispered something to Shane, who nodded slowly before stalking toward Andrea who was standing on the other side of the yard about as far away from all of them as she could get. If she didn't already think Andrea was behind Lori being there, her standing in exile chewing on her expensive, manicured nails would've been another clue. She sighed, irritated at whatever idiotic plan Andrea and Lori had devised to ruin the party.

Rick was finally walking toward the deck looking positively murderous, but instead of stopping to talk to Lori, he breezed right past her without a second glance. He didn't stop until he was standing directly in front of her and her hand was firmly clasped in his.

"Can we talk? Alone?" He asked, in a voice no higher than a whisper.

She nodded before he could finish getting the words out. He led her back toward the door to the kitchen and when they moved past Lori, her head spun to follow them with her eyes and Michonne saw her mouth fall open in shock.

Michonne was a little shocked herself, as they stepped into the kitchen and Rick let go of her hand before silently pacing the room. She leaned against the counter and watched him; her anxiety growing with each passing second. The insecurities she'd overcome the night before were suddenly back in force as she tried to figure out why he was in there with her instead dealing with Lori. Did seeing her again spark something he didn't know was still there? Was he struggling with how to tell her that? Did he want her to leave so he could work it out?

Her mind was racing and so was her heart. The fear that had been stopping her from being all in with him until the night before was threatening to suffocate her. Her face was getting hot, her eyes stung, and she was on the verge of breaking down when she decided she couldn't wait any more. She needed to know what was going on in his head for her own peace of mind.

"Rick…"

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he came to a stop in front of her, his eyes filled with worry. "I didn't expect her to show up here. I told you I was done with her and I am. I'm with you and her being here doesn't change that."

In the middle of the storm swirling around him, the thing he was most concerned about was her and if she hadn't already been head over heels in love with him she would've fallen for him right then. His words sent her fears and insecurities scrambling back into the dark and right then, she made the decision to never let them come out again. She wasn't going to waste time doubting what they had, no matter what was going on around them.

She smiled and shook her head and cupped his handsome face in her hands.

"You don't have to be sorry," she said, before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Her being here isn't your fault."

He nodded but he still looked uncertain. "I know but…"

She shook her head. "No buts. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

A smile slowly crept upon his lips as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the side of her neck.

"Good. Because I'm not planning on going anywhere either," he mumbled as they pulled apart after a few minutes of just holding on to each other like one was the other's lifeline. "This day was going so perfectly…,"

"…and it can go back to that as soon as you handle your business…unless she's been torn apart by Maggie and your mother while we've been in here,"

He chuckled, "It doesn't sound like trouble out there. Why don't we give them a little longer to finish the job?" His lips were on hers before she could respond. The kiss was urgent; like he was trying to make sure she knew he didn't give a damn about the woman standing on his deck. The only woman he cared about was her and as their lips and tongues melded in hot bliss, Michonne got the message and stopped caring about Lori too.

They probably would've kept kissing if the french door leading to the deck hadn't burst open to allow Shane to come storming through it, practically dragging Andrea with him. They jumped apart, but Rick's arm remained locked around her waist to keep her at his side.

"Baby, I swear I didn't send her the address! It's that find my friends thing on my phone. She must've used that!" Andrea's pleading had no effect on Shane who just kept shaking his head.

"Even if that bullshit was true, it's still on you, Andrea! She never would've done it if you hadn't been texting her about everything going on here," he roared and the truth in her husband's words stunned Andrea for a minute before she continued pleading her case.

"I didn't think she'd show up," she said before turning to Rick. "Please believe me, Rick! I'm sorry!"

Before Rick could respond, Shane slapped his back.

"It was a good party, Rick, but me and my wife are leaving now," he said, and Rick nodded once in reply. "Michonne, it was nice meeting you."

"You too, Shane," she said, watching as he and Andrea continued through the house to the front door. She didn't know Shane well, but she could tell he was pissed and Andrea was in for a long night.

Rick's arm tightened around her waist. "They're going to be ok. Shane's a hothead and she's an airhead at times, but they love each other," he said.

She nodded; smiling up in wonder at how he was able to read her mind. She sighed and brushed her palm across his back. "We really should get back out there…"

"I know. I was just enjoying these last few minutes of peace."

That peace came to a crashing halt as Lori sashayed through the door. The indignant look she'd been wearing like a mask was gone; replaced by one of anger with a hint of embarrassment leaving Michonne to wonder if the joke about Maggie and Celine destroying her was a little too close to being true.

Without sparing Michonne a glance, Lori's sneer turned into a sickeningly sweet smile as she stepped in closer to Rick.

"Here you are. I should be mad at you for leaving me out there with your mother and your sister…," she began, but Rick shook his head and whatever else she was going to say, died on her tongue.

He tucked her into his side a little more and said, "Lori, this is Michonne. We're together now and I won't let you disrespect her by ignoring her presence."

Lori reluctantly tore her attention away from Rick allowing Michonne to see the blatant animosity in her expression.

"So. You're the woman who lured him away from me…suddenly, everything makes perfect sense," she said; every word dripping with accusations.

"Lori?" She waited until the other woman unwillingly focused her attention on her before continuing, "Whatever you thought was going to happen when you showed up here isn't going to happen."

Lori's eyes narrowed, "If you don't mind, this conversation is between me and Rick," she hissed.

Rick's arm tightened around her waist. "Michonne stays with me," he declared, leaving no room for argument. "We didn't end things on the best terms so what made you think you could just show up here like this?" He asked, a little more bluntly than even Michonne expected.

"I just wanted to stop by and see what all the fuss was about. This is a nice townhouse you bought. Maybe you can give me a tour sometime…"

"That's not going to happen. You need to go…"

"We haven't even had a chance to talk yet. We were together a long time, Rick," she persisted, "Don't I at least deserve a few minutes of your time?"

Based on the way his arm tightened around her even more, Rick wasn't happy about Lori's attempt at manipulating him, but unlike him there was no way she wasn't going to call her out on it.

"He doesn't owe you anything," she said, pulling Lori's evil stare back over to her, "Showing up here uninvited for a man who don't want you isn't going to change that."

The smile that appeared on Lori's face was practically contemptible. "Oh, I think leaving me for his mistress earns me a few precious minutes of his time," she said lowly, her insinuation crystal clear.

Michonne's body flushed with anger. She wanted nothing more than to knock that annoyingly superior smile off of Lori's face. This one was definitely a viper and she knew just how to strike. She saw Rick's mouth open to come to their defense, but there was no way she was going to let Lori have the last word and she'd die before she let it look like she couldn't hold her own.

"I don't know what you think you know, but Rick and I didn't get together until after you two broke up," she said, through gritted teeth but making a conscious effort to keep her tone light.

"Right. One day we're on the verge of getting married and the next he's breaking up with me and saying we both deserve better. Someone had to put that idea of better in his head,"

"Well…maybe the two of you weren't really on the same page like you thought."

"I think we were fine until you came along offering him a whole new book," Lori fired back, her tone betraying her cool exterior.

None of this was getting them any closer to getting Lori the hell out of Rick's house, but she hoped it was helping Lori get the point. She was quiet, but the wheels were obviously turning inside her head. Thankfully, Rick's voice broke the uncomfortable silence they'd fallen into after that last barb before Lori could formulate a response.

"You have two minutes to say whatever it is you have to say before I throw you out of here," he said; his frustration roughening his voice.

A wide grin burst across Lori's face and she rolled her eyes away from her and back to Rick. Michonne had a feeling that two minutes of Lori saying whatever she had to say would be 120 seconds too long. Her suspicions were confirmed by the unfettered defiance remaining in Lori's eyes along with the satisfaction that he was giving her exactly what she wanted.

"I heard you were with someone…then I heard about you buying this place…I just had to see how far you were taking this before you come to your senses," she explained; her phrasing making the anger Michonne was trying her best to let go of come flooding back.

Rick coughed, "Excuse me?"

Lori's cloying smile and not so subtle disdain for her was grating on Michonne's nerves, but she wanted to hear Lori's reasoning behind her "come to your senses" comment. She knew Lori wasn't stupid, so she didn't want to believe that she would just come out and say the horrible things that were lurking in the back of her mind. They were the things Michonne had read in Lori's expression the first time their eyes met; the things Michonne didn't want to label but knew exactly what they were.

"I mean, really…it's time for you end this ridiculous relationship and come back to me," she said, making it increasingly easier for Michonne to figure out where she was going with that whole conversation.

Lori continued, "I know we were together a long time and I understand the need to…sow your wild oats before settling down. But it's time to stop fooling around. Our friends have seen you out with...her...and it's starting to get embarrassing for both of us. How can I be expected to marry you after you've made me the laughing stock of Atlanta society?"

Lori's hatefulness and delusion briefly stunned them both into silence and all at once Michonne saw that Lori's only motivation in showing up there that day wasn't to drop a great revelation or to declare her undying love for Rick. She was there to claim what she believed was still hers because there was no way in her mind that his new relationship was real. In a few words, Lori had managed to reduce what was building between her and Rick to nothing more that a dalliance; a way to pass the time until he was ready to marry the kind of girl he was supposed to be with. Michonne felt herself deflate as Lori's words knocked the wind out of her.

It was never a surprise when people said or did racist things, but expecting people to be awful never lessened her disappointment when they were.

Rick pulled her in even closer to his side, drawing her attention up to his reddened face and tight jaw. His entire body seemed to be vibrating and the anger surrounded him like an aura. When he tilted his head to one side and his eyes narrowed to a squint, fixing Lori with a glare that was capable of striking someone dead, it was obvious that he'd had enough.

He growled, "Get out of my house! If I ever see you around here again, I'm getting a restraining order and how embarrassing would that be?"

Lori's eyes widened slightly but she remained unfazed.

"Rick…," she began.

"Out!" He yelled, and Lori visibly flinched at the volume and the conviction of that one word. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing, "There ain't nothing here for you and there never will be."

After shooting them both one last withering look, Lori's heels tapped against the hardwood as she strolled toward the front door.

"I'll go…for now. But you can call me to talk about this a little more any time you're free to talk," she offered. "You know I'm right, Rick. It's only a matter of time before you realize it."

She actually laughed before she walked through the door and that little voice inside Michonne told her that they weren't done with her. Not by a long shot.

Lori was finally gone, but she left them to deal with the aftermath of her presence. Rick's arm slipped from around her and he leaned against the kitchen island with his palms flat against the countertop. His head hung between his arms and his eyes were closed tight. His whole body was clenched like a fist and she could tell he was doing his best to release the stress Lori had dumped on him.

She moved closer to him, and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"I'm sorry you had to listen to that shit," he grumbled.

"It's ok...," she offered.

He looked over at her and shook his head sadly, "No, it isn't," he countered, "Nothing about…that…is ok."

She nodded; knowing what he was getting at but she wanted to talk about Lori and her incriminations about as much as he did.

"You're right, it's not, but it will be," she sighed.

"I keep telling myself she wasn't always like that," he began, "…that somewhere along the way she turned into the person you saw here today. But maybe she was and I just didn't see it...maybe I ignored it. Either way, it makes it hard to explain why I stayed with her as long as I did."

He sounded a little lost; like the revelation of his ex's true nature was causing him to question his entire life.

"Don't do that. People are very good at hiding things they don't want seen," she said; tying to bring him some level of comfort.

He was silent for a moment and it was like he was debating what he was going to say next.

"She was right about one thing, you know. I did leave her for you," he admitted, and she immediately began shaking her head. Nothing had happened between them until well after he and Lori had broken up so there was no way his admission could be accurate.

"That's not true…," she said, spurring him to stop leaning and turn around so that they were facing each other. The storm brewing behind his eyes made her words trail off before she could finish her thought.

"It is. You know it is. I didn't know if you wanted me like this, but I left her hoping you would and I don't regret it at all," he said.

As much as she didn't want to think about it like that, he really did blow up his life for her and explaining it any other way was just semantics.

"So you're beating yourself up because you don't feel guilty and you think you should?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Maybe a little bit. I probably deserve her showing up here like this," he said, his hand moving up to caress her cheek, "But you didn't deserve it."

"Hey, we're in this together, right; and no one deserves that," she said, covering his hand on her face with hers and leaning into his palm. "It really doesn't matter why you left her. The only thing that matters is that you left her before you tried to have anything with me. You're a good man." She could tell that he understood what she was saying but he wasn't ready to let it go yet.

He sighed, "We know that. I just don't want anyone thinking less of you because of my mistakes."

He'd revealed the real reason behind his sudden crisis of conscience and once again she was at the root of it. His worry over her reputation had sent him into a tailspin and she needed to help him get things back under control.

She kissed his palm before pulling his hand down and squeezing it tightly in hers. "We know what really happened and in this case, we're the only ones that matter," she assured.

He nodded slowly and she noticed that the storm in his eyes had started to clear up a little. The ghost of a smile danced on his lips as he pulled her into a loose hug. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his chest; taking a moment to revel in his warmth as she listened to the steady strum of his heart.

He rested his chin on the top of her head. "She is wrong about one thing though. You didn't put the idea that things could be better in my head. Somewhere deep down, I already knew that and it kept me from just giving her what she wanted and marrying her. All you did was make me want something better and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that."

She squeezed him a little harder, "I'm willing to watch you try though…" His soft rumble of laughter as he held her against him, made her break into a wide smile.

"I love you," he said, sounding like that was the one thing in the world he was completely sure of and she would never get tired of hearing him say it.

Her smile grew a little bigger and she answered with what she hoped was the same level of conviction.

"I love you too."

 **XXX**

"Well...this was a very memorable party, dear." Rick glanced down at his mother and sighed. They were able to get everything mostly back on track after Lori left, but now the party was over and everyone had gone home. Only his family, including Michonne and Glenn had stuck around to help with the cleanup but now even they were leaving. His father had gone to bring the car around and he was waiting on the sidewalk with his mother while Michonne chatted with Glenn and Maggie over near their car.

"It definitely had its highs and lows…," he said, after a few of the not so pleasant memories of the day tried to supersede the good ones in his head.

His mom squeezed his arm and smiled up at him. "Yes, but everything worked out. Hopefully Lorielle got the message and will leave you alone from now on."

He nodded grimly. "Why didn't I see what she was..."

"Do you remember when you were a little boy and I read you The Little Prince?" Celine asked.

He smiled, remembering her sitting on the edge of his bed and reading him that book every night for two weeks."Of course. You read it to me in French and I had to study just so I could figure out what the story was about,"

"And if she were alive, your grandmother would be so proud of your French! Anyway…what was that phrase…On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur," she recalled, and he nodded in understanding.

"One sees clearly only with the heart…," he recited; enjoying the smile his knowledge of French always brought to his mother's face.

"Yes! You didn't see it because your heart was no longer in it, but none of that matters now. No good can come from you looking backward, especially when you have so much to look forward to."

As if on cue, unmistakable laughter pulled his attention away from his mom over to where Michonne was talking with Maggie and Glenn. Her face was alight with joy as she giggled into her hand before starting to talk with excited hand gestures. He loved seeing her like that. It made a gentle warmth spread through him until it felt like he was burning from the inside out.

"You're definitely seeing her clearly," Celine said, her voice pulling him out of his Michonne reverie. He blushed at the knowing smile dancing on her lips. He'd never been able to hide anything from her. "She really is lovely and your father and I are looking forward to getting to know her. You'd better make an equally good impression on her family tomorrow!"

With the insanity the day had nearly devolved into, he'd forgotten that Michonne had invited him to dinner with her family the next day. He was suddenly filled with excitement over the prospect.

"I'll be on my best behavior," he promised with a laugh.

She nodded, "Good. Call me and let me know how it goes. Especially if a resentful ex of hers shows up."

There was a mischievous twinkle in his mother's eye and he couldn't believe she actually had jokes.

"Mom…are you making jokes at my expense?" He asked, not even trying to hide his amusement, and she burst into a fit of giggles. If there was one woman he enjoyed seeing happy as much as Michonne, it was his mother. Her laugh, even when it was at his expense, made his heart feel lighter. If she was joking about it, it really couldn't be all that bad.

After her laughter trailed off, he said, "We've both had enough drama for one weekend, don't you think?"

She nodded, "I'd say so…here's your father with the car. I'll see you next week, mon coeur." She pulled him into a hug and he kissed the top of her head.

"Good night, mom." He pulled open the car door, said good night to his father, and ushered his mother inside. As he was watching them pull away, he felt Michonne approaching him from behind. He turned around and she was there, wearing that gorgeous smile that he fell in love with a little more every time he was graced with it.

"You ready to finish getting this place cleaned up?" She asked, and he shook his head and grabbed her hand.

"The only thing I'm interesting in finishing is that last bottle of wine," he said, and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She was cute when she was confused; hell she was always cute. God forbid when he finally got to to see her mad at him because he'd probably think that was cute too.

"The backyard is still a mess…,"she argued, but he spun her into his arms and silenced her with the kind of kiss that made your heart beat in overtime and your mind go blank.

"It can wait. I think we've earned taking the rest of the night off," he whispered after forcing his lips away from her satiny, soft ones and trying not to be enticed into another kiss until they were safely hidden inside the house. Her chocolate eyes burned in a way that got him all fired up and he was having a hard time caring about prying eyes.

"So I guess I'm staying here another night?" She asked, even though it came out as more of a statement than a question. He recaptured her hand; weaving their fingers together as they slowly strolled back to the house.

"I was hoping you would," he replied and she glanced over her shoulder, grinning at him. He felt his face grow hot and he had to look away before her beauty completely overwhelmed him.

"I guess I can stay one more night," she agreed.

He smiled to himself; happy that she was spending another night with him and even happier that it seemed so natural for her to be there. He held open the door for her and she brushed past him heading for the kitchen, presumably to grab that bottle of wine they'd been talking about. He was proved right when she picked up the bottle and the opener and got to work.

"Besides, I need you to prep me," He said, and she paused, sending him a questioning look from across the kitchen island.

"Prep you for what?" She asked, and he realized that in the excitement of the day, he wasn't the only one who'd forgotten about their plans for the next day.

"Meeting your family tomorrow," he said, and her eyes went as big as one of those old cartoon characters as the smile faded from her lips.

"Shit…I forgot," she gasped.

He slid two wine glasses across the island to her but she didn't even look up. Her lips were set in a tight line and she continued to fiddle with the bottle opener.

"I figured you did, but I need to know everything! What do they like? What topics are forbidden? Have they been bothering you about meeting me?" He knew he sounded like a complete dork but he couldn't help it. He was in love with this woman and meeting her parents seemed like the next logical step in the progression of their relationship.

Unfortunately, his questions went unanswered as she unsuccessfully tried to open the bottle of wine. He could see her frustration growing and he realized that it wasn't just her inability to work the bottle opener correctly that was making her upset.

Without another word, he took the bottle from her, pulled the cork out and poured her a glass which she took with a grateful smile.

"Michonne?"

She drained her entire wine glass and reached to pour another.

"Yeah?"

"Does your family know about me?" He asked, and he'd never seen her look as uncomfortable as she did in that moment.

"Kind of. I mean, they know I'm seeing someone but I haven't really given them any details," she answered and it was definitely not what he wanted to hear. He hadn't been able to keep her to himself. Everything he felt for her came bursting out of him whenever someone brought her up but she hadn't even told her family about him.

"Why not?"

She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Remember when you asked me why my mother's ringtone is the Jaws theme? Telling them anything more about you would've been like blood in the water for me and I wasn't ready for it. I wanted to keep you all to myself for as long as I could."

It made sense but she still seemed hesitant which made him feel hesitant.

"But you're ready now?"

She answered him with an emphatic nod. "I love you and our relationship has moved into an entirely different gear. At this point, it wouldn't be right if you didn't meet them."

"Ok…," he said, feeling better about the whole thing, but her nervous smile and wide eyes told him she wasn't quite feeling better about it yet.

She sat her wine glass down and looked up at him, startling him a bit with the determination he saw in her eyes.

"But you're right, I do need to prep you and we don't have a lot of time," she said.

He laughed and waved her off. "I was only kidding. You don't have to prep me. I think I can handle myself."

There was a pregnant pause as she processed what he said and when a look of absolute calm overtook her features, for a half second, he thought he was in trouble.

''Ok…," she shrugged, picking up her wine glass and walking toward the stairs, "…I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to turn in."

He started to follow her, hoping she wasn't that "exhausted" because he was hoping for a repeat of the previous night's activities. Maybe he was too distracted by his fantasies and the gentle sway of her hips to notice it sooner, but she was humming the Jaws theme and as much as he wanted to laugh about it, a sudden nervousness washed over him.

The next day, he was going to meet a woman whose own daughter compared her to a great white shark. Maybe he should be taking this more seriously.

"Wait, Michonne…maybe you do need to prep me," he said, effectively retracting his previous statement.

She didn't even turn around when she answered,"Nah, you're good."

"Come on, babe! I prepped you for my parents and they absolutely love you now…," he pleaded, hoping she would have mercy on him.

She looked over her shoulder wearing a coquettish smile paired with a raised eyebrow and cracked, "Ummm…after what happened earlier, I'd say that bar was set pretty low."

Her words stopped him in his tracks and he shook his head as a laugh slipped out of him. The only woman in his life that hadn't taken the day's events as a green light to roast him was Maggie and that was only because she was probably going to roast him about Lori for the rest of his life.

"Everybody's got jokes…," he mumbled, and he heard her giggling as she disappeared upstairs. He dejectedly followed her path up the stairs, wondering how he was going to charm her family without knowing anything about them.

"Lesson one begins in five minutes, Grimes, so you'd better get up here!"

The playful lilt of her voice warmed him from the inside out and he was reminded of one of the many reasons he'd been attracted to her from that very first meeting. Her lighthearted nature was so different from anything he was used to and she had a way of making him feel good with the smallest of gestures. Even her teasing made him want more and he knew, without a shadow of doubt, he loved Michonne; and no matter how many Lori's or shark-like mother's that crossed their path, that was the most important thing.

As he ran up the remaining steps, with a grin that he wasn't sure would ever fade, he couldn't help but wonder what the reward would be if he was a very good student.

 **XXX**

 _Coming up: Meet the Parents, Michonne edition, when Rick jumps head first into the shark tank._

 _Thank you for reading and I hope it won't be so long between updates!_

 _P.S. If anyone wants to talk about this chapter or any chapter, message me. I'll gladly talk about it with you._


	14. Chapter 14 - Machinations

_Hi! I hope you're still out there. If you are, thank you so much for your follows, favorites and reviews. I have no excuses for how long it's taken me to get this chapter to you. It was a combination of things from writer's block to other ideas floating around in my head making hard to focus, and life getting a little crazy for a while. I'm going to do my best to stay on track from here on out._

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - Machinations**

She squeezed his hand tightly as they walked up the sidewalk leading to the yellow house with the blue door where her family was assembled for their weekly gathering. Both of her brothers and their wives were already there, as evidenced by their cars parked along the street. Michonne was sure her mother was in there putting the finishing touches on another one of her massive Sunday dinners. This one was going to be different though. This one was going to feature a grilling during the meal.

It wasn't that she was having second thoughts about introducing Rick to her family, she just knew how her mother could be. They loved each other deeply but they had a way of getting under each other's skin to the point where it usually caused a blow up. She'd never been exactly what her mother wanted her only daughter to be and that would always be a point of contention between them.

"Babe, not that I'm complaining, but you're cutting off circulation to my fingers." Rick's playful voice pulled her out of her head, and she found her handsome man wearing a half-smile and looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Sorry," she laughed, loosening her grip slightly.

He tugged her a little closer and said, "You don't have to worry. I told you, mothers love me."

His confidence made her giggle, but he had no idea what he was walking into no matter how much she'd prepped him the night before.

"I'm sure they do, but I told you, my mother is a special case."

"C'mon, she can't be that bad."

He was right, she wasn't that bad. She wasn't cruel or abusive in any way. She was just…hard. That was the best word she could come up with in her mind. Her mother was hard and a little cold but there was no doubt that she loved her. She just had a funny way of showing it sometimes.

She sighed, "She's my mother and I love her, but this is the woman who scared the guy I was dating in high school so badly that he finally gave up and dumped me...on prom night…while he was picking me up at my house."

"Oh that guy was a cupcake," Rick laughed, and she raised an eyebrow.

"That guy is now a Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. She scared the shit out of a guy who ended up joining the Marines, Rick. Do you get that?"

"You didn't let my crazy ex run you off and I'm not going to let your mother run me off," he declared.

"You say that now," she hedged, but he ignored her and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, Michonne. Nothing can change that."

She stared up at him and was overwhelmed by how deep she'd allowed herself to go with him; how much she was already in love with him. Rick Grimes was everything she ever wanted in a partner and she was so glad that she'd stopped second-guessing it. Now, if they could just survive dinner with her mother.

"I love you too, but you haven't met her yet." They walked up to the front door, where she paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," he said.

Before she had a chance to knock, the door swung open, and she was hit in the legs by a three foot tall force of nature.

"Auntie Michonne! You're here!"

If there was anything that could instantly bring a smile to her face, it was her nephew, Andre. He hugged her legs tightly, beaming up at her with a wide grin that showcased a few missing teeth. She rubbed her hand across his freshly cut hair before scooping the little boy up into her arms and hugging him tight to her chest.

"Hi Andre! How's my big boy?"

He wrapped his arms around her neck and smiled even wider. "I'm going to school tomorrow! Mommy got me new clothes and shoes for school and I got a haircut!"

After being on the waitlist almost since birth, he was starting pre-kindergarten at Woodward Academy the next day. She couldn't wait to see pictures of her little peanut in his navy blue polo and khakis on his first day of school.

"That's so cool! Are you super excited about going to school?" He nodded his little head and squeezed her neck even tighter.

"Yep! Daddy says I'm gonna learn a lot of stuff and make new friends too!"

"You sure are, peanut." As she lowered him to the ground, he seemed to notice Rick standing behind her. He peeked around her legs, acting more shy than she'd ever seen him. "Andre, this is my friend, Rick. Can you tell him hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Rick."

Rick's lips curved into a half smile when Andre extended his little hand out for him to shake.

"Hi, Andre…and you can just call me Rick," he said, joining Andre in a firm handshake.

"Ok."

She leaned down and brought her lips close to Andre's ear."Guess what? Rick went to Woodward Academy when he was a little boy too," she whispered, making Andre's head spin back to Rick. His dark eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open.

"You did?" he asked.

Rick squatted down so that he and Andre were at eye-level.

"That's right. I did," he affirmed.

"Wow! My school is really old!"

The laugh burst from her before she could even think about holding it in. The look of wonderment on Andre's face coupled with Rick's dismay, were too much. Rick took his roasting in stride and just shook his head.

"Yeah, I guess it is," he laughed.

"Is that for my nana?" Andre asked, pointing to the potted African Violet plant she'd picked out after Rick insisted he couldn't meet her mother empty handed.

"It is. Do you think she'll like it?"

Andre smiled and nodded, "The purple ones are her favorites."

She watched as Andre and Rick continued to talk, and for the first time in her life she felt that stirring deep inside of her that women talked about. While her brothers and many of her friends were getting married and having kids, her biological clock had remained silent. Even with Spencer, the man she'd come closest to taking those steps with, she'd never heard that ticking. Five minutes of witnessing Rick interact with Andre was all it took for the ticking to come in loud and clear.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing coming in loud and clear.

"Michonne Bishop! I know you're not standing there with my door wide open! I'm not trying to air condition the whole outdoors!"

There was her mother, standing with her hands on her hips in the archway leading to the kitchen. She was already frowning, and that wasn't exactly how she wanted to start the introductions.

Andre scampered into the house at the sound of his Nana's voice, and Michonne wove her fingers through Rick's after he rose to his full height.

"C'mon, Grimes. Let's go introduce you to the rest of my family."

* * *

Dianne Bishop was too busy getting dinner ready to offer him more than a hello and her thanks for the plant. She'd barely given him a second glance before disappearing back into the kitchen. She seemed welcoming enough though, and he couldn't help but see Michonne in her mother's dark eyes and bright smile.

Dianne's distraction allowed Michonne to spend more time introducing him to her brothers and their wives. He felt the side eye from all four of them while they gave him the third degree. Michonne tried to shut it down, but he didn't mind. It was a brother's job to give any guy their sister brought home the hardest time possible. The only reason he hadn't done the same to Glenn was because he'd already known him.

It didn't take long for them to warm up, and the conversation shifted from solely focusing on him to more of a two-way street. He learned that her stoic older brother, Luke, was a pediatric surgeon at Emory Hospital. His wife, Asia, was a nurse, but she'd decided to stay home after Andre was born. Her younger brother, Noah, seemed to be the more laid back one. He was full of one-liners and jokes that kept his wife, Brittany, rolling her eyes. They were both high school teachers expecting their first child, and it was all either of them could talk about.

It was also obvious that Michonne adored her brothers just as much as they adored her. She'd told him all about her parent's divorce when she was 13, and her father's subsequent disappearance from the lives of her and her brothers. They were tighter because of it and it showed in every interaction. The siblings seemingly spoke their own language, and from the wives' good-natured smiles, they were used to not being able to keep up with them.

StIll, they were all very accepting of him as an addition to Michonne's life. By the time dinner was ready, he'd been invited to Noah's weekly pick-up basketball game and both of her brothers were excited about joining him and Michonne in the firm's luxury suite at the Falcons home opener. He'd also made a new friend in Andre, who insisted on sitting on the other side of him at the large dinner table so they could keep talking about his new school.

The dinner laid out on the table wasn't the typical Labor Day meal Rick was used to, but his stomach growled in anticipation of trying a bit of everything because it all looked and smelled so good. It reminded him of the Sunday dinners you would see on television; food piled everywhere just waiting to induce a food coma.

As Dianne lowered herself into the chair at the head of the table, her dark, discerning eyes met his letting him know that the easy part was over. He swallowed a large gulp of his sweet tea, and braced for the real inquisition to begin.

"So...what do you do for a living, Rick?"

"I'm a corporate attorney, ma'am," he answered, and a wide smile appeared on Dianne's lips.

"A lawyer! That's wonderful!" It was just his job, not who he was but if it earned him points with her, he'd take it.

She continued, "I always thought Michonne would've made an excellent lawyer. I just couldn't get her away from drawing. But I guess being an architect is better than being a broke artist."

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Michonne cringe and hold her fork a little tighter as she pushed her food around her plate.

"From what I've seen, she's a pretty amazing architect," he offered, trying his best not to let his annoyance at her dismissiveness of Michonne's career choice under control.

Dianne ignored him and continued buttering her corn muffin.

"I'm only saying, she would've been a better lawyer."

He opened his mouth to defend her; to let Michonne's mother know that her daughter was perfect in every imaginable way, but the increasing pressure of Michonne's hand on his thigh under the table made him bite his tongue. He glanced over and her dark eyes were pleading with him to just let it go.

With a resigned sigh, he said, "I'm sure she would've been good at anything she decided to do."

A slightly uncomfortable silence fell across the table before Luke cleared his throat and turned his attention to his sister.

"Michonne, we still don't know how you and Rick met," he said.

"We met in a bookstore," she began and Rick frowned. That was in no way an accurate description of the way she literally stumbled into his life.

He interrupted, "The truth is that she almost killed me in a bookstore."

"Stop! It wasn't that bad," she countered, and he just grinned wider.

"Tell that to my ankle!"

"We literally bumped into each other. That's all," she insisted, even Andre covered his mouth with both hands to hide his giggles. Apparently, in that house, it was common knowledge that Michonne had a tendency to leave a path of destruction in her wake.

"More like, our worlds collided and we ended up in the emergency room." She laughed, and for the first time all afternoon, the quiet, sullen Michonne was gone and his bubbly, happy, girlfriend was back. Her smile only grew wider as her brothers got into the act by telling stories of her klutziness that extended well into their childhood.

After Noah told a story about her losing most of her first paycheck from her first job working at The Varsity because she tried to deliver a tray of food on roller skates, he turned to Michonne who was laughing just as much as he was.

"So you've always been a klutz, huh?"

She shrugged,"Yeah. I started fencing because I thought it would make me more graceful or something. Turns out, I'm only graceful when I'm holding a sword."

She'd been conspicuously quiet throughout most of the conversation, but at that comment, Dianne clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"I'll never understand how you can be a world class fencer, but can't walk without causing a scene," she said, and it was like she pulled the plug on the joy that was illuminating Michonne. Her smile faded instantly and the sullenness crept back in.

Unable to see her like that again, Rick draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her into his side so he could kiss her forehead.

"I, for one, am glad she's a klutz. Her knocking me on my a…," he paused when he noticed he had everyone's full attention including Andre's, "…behind…is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Dianne didn't say another word on the subject, but that exchange set the mood for the rest of dinner, as Rick learned for himself what Michonne had been unable to verbalize about her mother. She found a way to add her criticism to everything Michonne said or did. Luke and Noah weren't immune to it; each of them got a taste, but it was Michonne who got the full, four-course meal of parental critique.

There was always something with mothers and daughters, Rick knew that from watching his mom and Maggie go back and forth. From what he could gather, Michonne wasn't living her life according to whatever grand plan Dianne had for her. Being an architect with her own firm, somehow wasn't good enough. That much was obvious from the way Dianne gushed over Luke's and Noah's career choices and couldn't find more than a "that's nice, dear" for Michonne. It was a story he'd have to wait to know all of.

* * *

Michonne stood over the sink next to her mother, watching Rick through the window playing catch with Andre and talking to her brothers. In her mind, dinner had been pretty much a success in spite of her mother's biting commentary. It could've been much worse, but maybe her mother saw that Rick was a good guy and turned down her criticisms to acceptable levels.

It wasn't over though. Asia and Brittany had offered to help clean up after dinner, but her mother had brushed them off and sent them outside with everyone else. That meant she had something to say and it was for her daughter's ears only. All she was doing now was biding her time before lowering the guillotine.

She braced herself when her mother cleared her throat, and tried to prepare herself for whatever was about to be said.

"How long have you been seeing that young man?"

"Six weeks."

Dianne shut off the water and put her hand on her hip. She was giving her the look Michonne knew all too well. It was the look that meant she was about to get another one of Dianne Bishop's famous lectures.

"That's not too long. Hopefully, you haven't lost all your sense and can hear what I'm about to tell you."

"Mom," she began, but her mother held up her hand and it stopped her words mid-sentence.

"Now, you know I love you and while I don't always agree with your decisions, I know they're your decisions to make. You're getting older now and it's time for you to stop playing around and start thinking about your future."

Michonne folded her arms over her chest and tried to work out what her mother was getting at, but a conversation about her future was so far outside what she was expecting.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember my friend, Olivia? Her son, David, was a couple years ahead of you in school?"

She shrugged as the hazy memory of a boy who always hung out with Luke when he visited with his mother, flitted through her mind.

"I guess…"

A smile brighter than any smile she'd seen on her mother's face in a very long time appeared, and it made the sinking feeling in her stomach grow stronger.

"David is a doctor now and he's moved back here from California to be closer to his family. Olivia says he's finally ready to settle down, so I told her you would love to have dinner with him so you two can get reacquainted."

It took a minute for her to completely process that revelation and when she finally did, it felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Even though her mother hadn't met Rick until that day, she'd known of his existence for a few weeks. Even so, her mother thought it was acceptable to try setting her up with a hand-picked stranger.

She watched silently as her mother dried her hands, still wearing that self-satisfied smile.

"Don't be mad at me, baby."

Of course she was mad. In fact, she was more than mad, she was furious.

"Why…how…could you do that? I'm already with Rick!"

"First, who do you think you are raising your voice to me in my house? You may be grown, but you're still my child."

She'd forgotten herself, and she closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down before speaking again.

"Mom, you've known I've been seeing someone for a while. Why would you do that?"

"That's better. I was was just doing what I know is best for you. David is a good man. He'd be good for you."

"Rick is a good man who is good for me."

Dianne pursed her lips and shook her head.

"He seems nice enough, but sweetheart, I thought you would've learned your lesson after what happened with Spencer. Men like that will never marry women like you. You're just an itch he wanted to scratch before settling into his real life. It's time you find someone you have more in common with."

"Rick and I have a lot in common," she argued.

Her mother rolled her eyes and sighed like their whole conversation was getting on her last nerve.

"Don't play dumb. You know what I mean. I'm not telling you this to hurt your feelings, Michonne. I'm trying to stop you from getting hurt all over again. I gave Olivia your number so he should be calling or texting you to set something up soon."

"He loves me, mom, and I love him."

"It's only been six weeks. You'll get over it. I'm sure he will too."

She stood there stunned while her mother went back to drying the dishes, and she knew she couldn't let that be the end of the conversation. If she did, it would mean that she was letting her mother devalue her feelings and her relationship. If she let it go this time, it would become a continuous theme and she couldn't have that. She wouldn't have it.

She took a deep breath and turned to face her mother.

"Mom, I love you, but you've gone too far this time."

Dianne didn't look up. She just kept wiping down the countertop like she didn't have a care in the world.

"How have I gone too far? I'm just trying to make sure you're happy and taken care of." That was her mom's way of making herself the victim in their arguments. She knew how easy it was to make her daughter feel guilty, and she'd take advantage of it whenever she could. It usually made her back down, but instead, Michonne steeled herself for a fight.

"I'm already happy and I can take care of myself."

"Michonne…"

"No, mom. I know you only want the best for me but you gotta understand that this is my life. I'm not always going to live it exactly the way you want me to. I can handle your disapproval when it comes to me, but I can't let you bring Rick into it."

"I just want you to make the right choice!"

"I did and I chose Rick. If you can't see how happy he makes me and be happy for me, I won't bother bringing him by anymore."

"What does that mean?"

"You know what it means, mom."

That was the moment her mother realized she wasn't kidding, and it was good that she did because Michonne was prepared to follow through on her threat. Not bringing Rick by, meant she wouldn't be coming by as much either. There were other ways she could spend time with the rest of her family that didn't involve Sunday dinner. She'd never cut her mother completely out of her life, but subjecting herself and Rick to a mother who didn't value their relationship was unnecessary.

Dianne folded her towel and left it on the counter as she moved to the dinette where the leftovers were waiting to be put away.

"What's so special about this Rick?"

She glanced out the window to see Andre sitting on his shoulders as he laughed with the rest of her family. There was no definitive answer to her mother's question and she only smiled to herself as she thought about all of the reasons she'd fallen in love with him.

"Everything. I can't begin to explain it to you, so you're going to have to give him a chance so you can see for yourself."

Her mom shook her head and went to start putting the rest of the food away.

"We'll see," she said, and to Michonne those two words were tantamount to a concession. "You should cut an extra piece of pie for him to take with him. He seemed to really enjoy it."

"He's a foodie like me and your apple pie is the best in Atlanta."

Dianne smiled and gently cupped her cheek.

"Well. I can't argue with his taste." Michonne covered her mom's hand with her own and returned her smile. Things between them were far from fixed, but she hoped they were at least on the right track.

Dianne grabbed a few of the containers and moved to the refrigerator.

"It's a shame you never learned how to bake."

Michonne gabbed the rest of the containers and sighed.

Her mom just couldn't help herself.

* * *

It was still light outside when they finally left her mother's house. Michonne had been somewhat quiet ever since she'd disappeared to help her mother in the kitchen; leaving him to the mercy of the rest of her family.

If anything, her mom was congenial during their goodbyes; telling him how nice it was to finally meet him and how much she was looking forward to getting to know him better. Her change in attitude was enough to make him sure something had happened between Dianne and her daughter in that kitchen.

She'd asked him to take her home instead of back to his place because they had work the next day, and those were the only words she spoke the entire ride there. She was smiling, and occasionally singing along to the songs on the radio, but he couldn't help but think something was wrong. She wasn't herself and she wasn't talking to him about it which made him think whatever was wrong was about him.

By the time they finally pulled into the parking space at her condo, he'd reached his limit. There was no way he was going to let her walk into her house without telling him what was going on. They were halfway to her door when he stopped walking. She turned around and stared at him with furrowed eyebrows.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she said, and he shook his head.

"No, you're not. Did I do something wrong? If I offended your mother in any way…"

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's just…my mother."

He reached over and held her hand tightly in his until she wove their fingers together.

"What happened?"

"She actually tried to set me up with the son of one of her friends even though she knew I was was seeing you. She thinks I'd be better off if I found someone I had more in common with because men like you are just scratching an itch with women like me. She thinks I'm setting myself up to get my heart broken."

It took everything in him not to let the anger bubbling up inside, boil over. Dianne was her mother, but he hated that she planted those seeds of doubt in her mind. Underneath that anger, was something else though; the irrational fear that she would take her mother's concerns to heart and pull away from him. The thought of losing her over something like that was enough to terrify him.

"Michonne, I would never…"

She interrupted, "I know she's wrong about you. I just wish my own mother could've seen how happy you make me."

"Why do you think she couldn't?"

"We struggled after dad left and she doesn't want that for me. She wants me to pick the right man, and if he turns out not to be the right man, she wants me to have the right career so I can take care of myself."

"You're a brilliant architect…"

"Who left a job where she was on the partner track at one of the premier firms in Atlanta to start her own company. You know, most new businesses fail in the first two years."

"Yours won't. She doesn't have to worry about you struggling."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"I love the way you believe in me."

He shrugged, "I've seen your books, remember? I've also seen the contracts you have coming in. You won't need me to help out pro bono for too much longer."

"Good to know," she laughed.

"And your mom won't be able to ignore how happy we are together forever. We'll keep shoving our…what was it Sasha called it?"

"Ridiculous cuteness?"

He nodded, "We'll keep shoving our ridiculous cuteness in your mother's face until she begs for mercy."

"That might take a while," she warned.

He didn't care. He'd make it his singular mission in life to make her so happy that no one would ever be able to ignore it no matter how long it took.

"I got as long as you'll have me."

"I love you, Rick Grimes," she declared, throwing her arms around his neck and peppering his face with kisses.

"I love you too, Michonne Bishop."

They slowly continued on their path to her door, where he was expected a simple, good night kiss due to her insistence on reminding him they had jobs to go to the next day. Her pragmatism was one of the reasons he loved her as much as he did. Still, he didn't want to be reminded that their weekend together was coming to an end. It had it's low moments, but the highs outweighed them.

The kiss started out much like their first one in her doorway, but the shift in their relationship allowed things to quickly escalate. Now that the line had been crossed, he couldn't get enough of her. The feeling was most definitely mutual, because she managed to unlock the door and usher them both inside her house without breaking the kiss for a second.

He kicked the door closed behind them, lifting her into his arms and pressing her back against the wall as his mouth found hers again. Her long legs snaked around his waist giving him an excuse to hold on to her very distracting ass. It was without a doubt his favorite body part of hers, until she reminded him of her other extremely valuable assets.

She gasped and threw her head back against the wall when he thrusted his hips forward; forcing their lips apart so he refocused on her neck and shoulder. Her fingers in his hair were driving him crazy. She could get from zero to 100 in no time at all, then again, he was never quite at zero when they were together. She was like a drug always in his bloodstream waiting to be released.

Her feet found the floor again and her eager hands tugged at the hem of his shirt. Reluctantly, he released her long enough for her to pull it over his head, but took the opportunity to relieve her of hers as well. He cradled her face in his hands and attacked her swollen lips with his as she nudged him backwards down the hallway leading to what he assumed was her bedroom; her deft fingers working at unfastening his belt.

They were giggling as they fell onto her bed, and he couldn't resist teasing her about the overabundance of useless accent pillows. She only smirked at him and went back to unbuttoning his jeans like she'd been doing back in the living room. He helped her slide them off his hips and down his legs, leaving him in just his underwear for a brief moment until she stripped him of that as well. Then she stood up and he expected her to finish undressing, but instead, she grabbed one of the extra pillows and dropped it to the floor at her feet.

"What are you doing?"

"Occasionally, these accent pillows can be useful," she said, looking at him from under hooded eyes as she lowered herself to her knees in front on him. A jolt of electricity rushed through him when she ran her palms up his calves and over his thighs, before pushing his legs apart to make room for her between them. "I owe you one, remember?"

He lost all coherent thought the moment her lips descended on his cock. The warmth of her mouth and her very talented tongue had him gripping the bedding in his fists like his life depended on it. The room filled with the sounds of his ragged breathing and moans; mixed in with his muttered curses and breathy praising of her skills.

She was too good and it was pushing him to the finish line much faster than he wanted to go.

"Baby, you gotta stop…"

She looked up and released him from her mouth with a soft pop.

"You don't like it?"

Her feigned innocence turned him on even more. He had no idea she could be such a minx.

"I love it, but I want to be inside of you."

She smiled before standing up and removing what was left of her clothes; making a show of tossing her bra so it hit him directly in the face. She laughed before disappearing for a minute and was grateful for the time to get himself under control before she reappeared with a little foil packet between her fingers.

"You ready?"

He nodded, and from her smile, he could almost picture the dopey grin he was sure was stretched out across his face. She was still smiling as she unrolled the latex over his throbbing cock before straddling him; leaning over to give him a kiss before easing him inside of her. He watched, mesmerized, as her mouth fell open and her eyes fluttered shut when she took him deeper; her body stretching to fit him like a glove. She was so hot and wet that it felt like he was melting into her.

Her stuttered breaths were like music to his ears and she braced herself against his abs as she began slowly swiveling her hips. He sat up a little bit; just enough to tame her teasing, bouncing breasts with his hands and mouth. He'd never get over how her skin was softer than anything he'd ever touched. It was such a contrast to her hardened nipples that he loved dragging his teeth across because of the way it made her body clench.

He looked up at her; her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back in ecstasy as she took what she needed from him and he was happy to let her. This phase of their relationship was still so new and every pleasured moan he was able to pull from her gave him something to record into his memory so he could keep doing whatever he did to make it happen again. All he wanted to do was to make her happy.

And happy she was as she rode him into oblivion. Her hips were moving faster now, and he grabbed handfuls of her ass to help her along as he thrusted up to meet her. Her breath was coming in short pants, mixed in with sexy moans that made him want to be surrounded by that sound for the rest of his life.

Her head fell forward, and she pulled her plump bottom lip between her teeth and smiled at him from beneath her curtain of locs. His heart was already thundering in his chest, but that look made it beat even faster.

"Jesus…Rick…you feel…so good…," she breathed, her chocolate eyes glazed over with wanton desire.

"You're beautiful," he whispered; sitting up completely so he could kiss her too inviting mouth.

She shifted then; withdrawing just enough to allow her to wrap her arms and legs around him before sinking back onto him. Her fingers tangled in his hair as they kept kissing and gently rocking their sweat-slickened bodies together. There was something even more intimate about their position; he couldn't help but stare into her eyes as their mouths met over and over again. It gave him the opportunity to see past the lust and desire to the love that drove it all.

It made it so much more intense, and all too soon, he felt that familiar tightening throughout his body. He was surprised that he didn't draw blood with how hard he bit down on his lip, trying to hold out a little longer. She was fluttering all around him; letting him know she was edging closer to release, and he was determined that she would get there before him.

His fingers drifted down to the place where they were joined, and stoked the fire that was already burning there. It didn't take long for the woman in his arms to combust. Her forehead dropped against his when she came; groaning his name as her body shook and clenched all around him. She was always going to be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but the sight of her coming apart in his arms was like looking directly at the sun. It was a sight he'd never get tired of, and it was enough to bring him over the edge with her name on his lips as he emptied himself inside of her.

* * *

Hours later, they were still laying together talking, even though they both knew they had work in the morning. He busied himself with rolling one of her locs between his fingers as they talked about anything and everything. Hell, he could listen to her talk about nothing but the weather for hours and be perfectly content.

His phone ringing interrupted a story about her and Glenn attempting to drive cross country after graduating college, but he didn't move to retrieve it. There was nothing on the other end of that call that was more important than what was right in front of him.

"You should probably answer that," she suggested, but he shook his head.

"Nah, it can wait. It's probably just Maggie wanting to know how dinner went." She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and he knew that was a signal that their evening together was coming to a close.

"We need to get dressed. It's getting pretty late…"

"It's not even ten yet." He dragged his lips along the curve of her graceful neck, unable to resist tasting her one last time.

"Riiiick…"

"Michooonne," he echoed, and she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow and tried to look serious. He could see through it though. She was trying so hard not to laugh at him.

"We both have to go to work in the morning and right now, only one of us has clean underwear to put on."

His mouth fell open and he blinked at her in faux indignation.

"Are you kicking me out?" He asked, and her facade crumbled as she fell into a fit of laughter.

"Yes, but it's for your own good!"

He sat up in bed to the soundtrack of her giggles and it was hard to act offended when she was so amused.

"I feel so used," he teased, and that only made her giggles intensify.

"I think we both got what we wanted tonight," she said and he couldn't argue with that. He leaned over to steal another kiss, hoping that she would change her mind about making him leave. He couldn't care less about work the next day or having clean underwear.

"Yeah, but I could never get enough of you," he countered.

She held her ground. "You're sweet, but you still have to go."

Rejected, he shook his head and stood up so he could pull his jeans back onto his body. She was curled up in her orange sheets with her chin resting on her arm and her hair framing her face; looking like something out of a bohemian fantasy. It took everything in him not to grab her and kiss her senseless, because all he wanted to do was crawl back into bed and stay there with her forever.

"At least help me find my shirt."

She gave him that half smile of hers that he felt in every molecule of his being before rising to her feet and slipping into her blue, silk robe. He reached for her hand, and she twined their fingers together before leading him out of her bedroom.

They found his shirt shoved between the cushions of her couch and he slipped into it before they continued to the door.

"When can I see you again?"

"I'm at the CDC all week so it would have to be after work…"

"Come over tomorrow night. We'll watch that Netflix movie you wanted to see. I'll order Thai." He sounded desperate but he didn't care. In a very short amount of time, she'd become like air to him. He couldn't wait until the weekend to see her again.

"Sounds like a date. I'll bring the wine," she agreed with a smile. He opened the door and stood in the doorway. Now that he had something to look forward to, it wasn't as hard to leave.

He brushed a stray loc behind her ear and brushed his fingers across her cheek.

"Good night, Michonne."

"Good night, Rick. I love you," she whispered, right before pressing her body against his and capturing his lips with her own. She made his head spin, and he steadied himself by holding on to her gorgeously perfect behind.

"I love you too," he said, before kissing her again. His phone ringing made her break their kiss much sooner than he wanted.

"Answer it this time," she laughed.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and lifted it to his ear without looking to see who was calling.

"Hey, I'll call you back," he said; his eyes never leaving Michonne. He brought her hand up to his lips and she rewarded him with a shy smile.

"Rick! Thank God you answered!"

It wasn't the voice he was expecting but he was glad because it would be a whole lot easier to get him off the phone rather than his sister.

He groaned, "Shane, this better be important…"

"It's Lori…"

Rick interrupted him before Shane could finish his thought, "I'm hanging up…"

"Wait! She's in the hospital…"

He frowned and squeezed Michonne's hand a little tighter.

"Not to sound like an asshole, but what does that have to do with me?"

Shane sighed heavily, "She's pregnant…"

He wanted to laugh. So this was Lori's grand scheme? Fake a pregnancy to see it that would make him come crawling back to her? On top of that, she and Andie had somehow made his best friend an accomplice in their scheme. He couldn't believe Shane was that dumb.

"You don't actually believe that bullshit, do you?"

"I didn't," Shane argued, "then, I heard the doctors telling her mama she's around 8 to 10 weeks along."

The smile fell from his lips, and his eyes closed as his brain worked out a few simple calculations. Eight weeks ago they were in Tybee Island grasping at the last straws of their dying relationship. Eight weeks ago, he'd ended the first night of their trip having forgettable sex with Lori after having one too many beers. He remembered being sober enough to realize that it wouldn't fix anything between them, but drunk enough not to care.

And apparently drunk enough to not be safe.

Everything around him slowed and Michonne's hand slipped out of his. He opened his eyes to find her eyes wide and worried as she waited for some signal to what he was hearing, but he couldn't focus on that. He clenched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose as Shane continued talking.

"We're here because they think she's losing the baby. I thought you should know."

Nausea hit him with the force of a tidal wave and he stumbled backwards against the door. The phone slipped out of his hand and crashed to the floor; Shane's voice becoming just a whisper as the noise inside his head grew louder. Soon, it was loud enough to drown out Michonne's worried voice, asking if he was alright.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and let me know what you think! Also…please don't hate me for that cliffhanger! Happy New Year!**


	15. Chapter 15 - Trial by Fire

**Chapter 15 - Trial by Fire**

I know it has been a long time and I apologize for that. Life has been a little crazy, and I haven't been able to focus. Thank you for sticking with me. I hope this is worth the wait. Let me know! I love hearing from all of you! It means so much.

Shout out to The Winterscorpion, TheBaddestB, and ChinaPia for nudging me along.

* * *

"Andrea was with her when it started; that's how I found out. Even though this whole thing is fucked up, I thought you should know."

Rick was hearing the words coming out of Shane's mouth, but he was having a hard time processing them. He was still stuck on the bombshell that forced him to the hospital in the first place. Lori was pregnant; and if she wasn't having a miscarriage, the one woman that he was certain that he could go the rest of his life without ever laying eyes on again, was quite possibly having his child. That realization brought the seasick feeling he'd battled against for the entire ride from Michonne's house, back with a vengeance.

"Rick...you ok?" Shane was looking at him like he was waiting for him to completely break down or flip out. While there was more than enough reason for either of those responses, he just felt numb. It wasn't the way he was supposed to feel at the idea of becoming a father, and the guilt was already eating at him. If Lori was truly having his child, he prayed he or she would never know that his initial reaction was anything but happiness.

Shane was still waiting for him to answer, so he swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah…I'm just trying to figure out how my life went from being pretty much perfect to horseshit, in a couple of hours."

Shane grabbed his shoulder and gave it a rough squeeze.

"It ain't that bad yet. Maybe it's not yours..."

He chuckled humorlessly; knowing that while that was in fact an option, it wasn't the only one.

"That's the best case scenario. If it is mine, there is no best case. If she doesn't miscarry, the biggest mistake of my life will be her being the mother of my child. If she miscarries...we'll always be connected by the child we lost. Either way, I'm not going to be free of her."

"What happens now?" Shane asked.

He wanted to say turn back time to when he was still laying in bed, all wrapped up in Michonne; when all he was worried about was making sure she was happy. That moment seemed so distant to him now, and he hoped the possibility of reliving it, wasn't lost to him.

That was a worry for another day, so he pushed his fears to the background and steeled himself for what he had to do.

"I need to go talk to her so we can start figuring things out," he said.

"She's in room 219. Her parents are in there with her now, so watch out."

As if the night wasn't already bad enough, Shane's announcement took it over the top. While Lori's parents had treated him like family for years, he was pretty sure he'd become their least favorite person after breaking up with their princess.

"Great," he groaned.

"Listen, I gotta get going. Andrea is waiting for me in the car," said Shane, "Don't let them get at you, and if you need anything, you call me, ok?"

Rick nodded; mustering a half smile. "I will."

He watched his friend disappear behind the elevator doors before deciding that he couldn't put it off any longer. He inhaled deeply, and made his way down the hall to Lori's room. Through the cracked door, he saw Lori in bed, with her mother perched on the edge holding her hand. There was no point in delaying the inevitable any longer, so he knocked lightly before stepping inside the room.

Mrs. Fairmont had never been a particularly warm woman, but the look she threw at him was ice cold, and the look her father was giving him from the corner of the room, was especially murderous. The only person happy to see him was Lori, whose pale face lit up with a bright smile from the minute he stepped into the room.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fairmont. Hi, Lori."

"Rick, you came! I knew you would," she said, her eyes filling with tears. Her mother rose to her feet and continued glaring at him.

"He'd have better come! It is his child you almost lost!"

Mr. Fairmont crossed the room to stand between Rick and the women. His face was beet red, and Rick could only imagine the version of their breakup Lori had told him.

"This is all your fault," her father seethed, "If you hadn't put Lori under all this stress, she wouldn't be in this hospital right now!"

"Daddy, stop! He's here now. Why don't you and mom go get some coffee so Rick and I can talk?"

Eventually, her parents reluctantly complied with their daughter's request, and exited the room, leaving him and Lori in an awkward silence. He had to put his feelings about her on a shelf so he could focus on the issue at hand.

He cleared his throat and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm better now that you're here," she replied; her hand rubbing her still flat stomach in slow circles. "The doctors are saying we should be fine after a few days of rest."

His brain worked to comprehend the meaning of what she'd just said. The child she was carrying was going to be ok, and there was still a chance he was a father.

He swallowed the panic that had risen to form a lump in his throat. "That's…good."

She burst into a wide smile. "I knew something would bring you back to me. Who knew it would be our baby?"

After everything that happened between them, she still believed that he was going to come crawling back to her. Maybe there was a time when he would've. Maybe there was once a Rick Grimes who would've forgiven her anything at the news that she was pregnant. That Rick was long gone. There was nothing Lori could say or do that would win him back. All they did was make each other miserable, and a child didn't deserve to grow up in that.

He rubbed his forehead and sighed, "Lori…"

"Please, Rick," she interrupted, "I just want to put these last few months behind us and make a fresh start. We both made mistakes, but none of it matters now."

He paused, before continuing with a measured tone, "I'm glad you're ok, and I'm glad the baby is ok…but this doesn't change anything. There is no us."

Her smile fell, and she shook her head like she hadn't understood what he'd said. "It changes everything! We're having a baby and it deserves a real family."

"Lori…I don't want to upset you. You've been through enough tonight, but you need to understand that we're not going to be together even if this baby is mine."

Her dark eyes narrowed into slits and she folded her arms over her chest.

"What do you mean, if? Of course the baby is yours," she spat.

"Ok, so a paternity test shouldn't be an issue," he argued.

The look in her eyes was one of pure hate. If she could've gotten up out of that bed, she probably would've slapped him.

"How dare you? I'm not taking a test to prove what I already know and what you know too!"

He wanted to say so many things, but arguing with her was not the reason for his visit. He'd argued with Lori enough to last him a lifetime. He shuddered to think of the arguments they'd have if he was tied to her through a child for the next eighteen years.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed, "I didn't come here to argue with you. Get some rest and we'll talk more when you get out of here."

"Talk about what?" She spat. "You've made it perfectly clear that you want nothing to do with me and your baby!"

"If the baby is mine, I'll be there for my child," he countered; making sure to emphasize the word if.

She noticed his inflection and it seemed to make her ever madder.

"Stop saying if! The baby is yours! Unlike you, I didn't fuck the first person to smile at me after we broke up!"

He felt his blood pressure rising, but he refused to let her get under his skin. He wouldn't let her goad him into a fight because, if the baby she was carrying was his or not, he couldn't be reason she lost it. Regardless of anything he felt about Lori, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened.

"Lori, you need to calm down..."

Ignoring him, she screamed, "Don't act like you give a shit about us! Get out! I don't even want to see your face right now!"

The door flew open and both of Lori's parents came rushing inside. Her mother sat on the bed and pulled her daughter into her arms. Lori milked the moment for all it was worth by conveniently bursting into tears. He had to remind himself not to roll his eyes.

Her mother cooed, "Lorielle, darling, you can't get upset like this! You have to think of the baby."

Mr. Fairmont grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. The older man was seething; he clenched and unclenched his fists at his side like he was trying not to commit murder in the middle of the hospital.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to make her lose your own baby?"

Rick shook his head. "I didn't come here to fight with Lori. I just want to know for sure that the baby is mine," he said.

The vein in the middle of Mr. Fairmont's forehead visibly pulsed, and his eyes narrowed.

"I should knock you on your ass for even insinuating that it's not yours. Get out of here, and don't come back until you're ready to accept your responsibilities!" His harsh whisper still echoed off the walls as he stormed back into Lori's room, slamming the door behind him.

Rick stood in the cold, sterile hallway staring at the door for a few seconds before pulling his phone from his pocket, and dialing a number. It only rang once before his own father picked up.

"Rick? What's wrong?"

His father had never been one to beat around the bush. He should've known that calling him, and not his mother, after 9pm would be an almost immediate red flag.

"I need your advice," he answered.

There was a pause before his father asked, "Fatherly or legal?"

"Both," he said; that one word sure to confirm his father's reasons to be concerned.

"Rick?! What's wrong? Where are you?"

He cringed when his mother's panicked voice came across the line. Knowing her, she'd hit speaker as soon as she'd seen his name pop up on his father's phone. He hated making her worry, but this wasn't something he wanted to get into over the phone.

"I'm fine, mom. I promise. There's been a…development…and I need help figuring out my next move."

"Come home. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out together," she said.

"l'll be there soon," he promised.

The call ended, and the pounding in his head was drowning out any coherent thought. Without realizing it, he scrolled to Michonne's name. He needed to hear her voice; her reassurance that everything was going to be ok. The truth was, he didn't know if that was what she'd say. She'd been just as shellshocked as him when they got the news. She'd seen how terrible Lori was first hand and if the baby was his, choosing to stay with him meant that she'd have to deal with Lori too. He wouldn't blame her if she decided it was enough.

The thought of losing Michonne made his head ache even more. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. He couldn't talk to her just yet; not until he had a plan. He needed to get to his parents house so he could regroup, and figure out what the hell he was going to do.

* * *

Michonne took a sip from the overfilled glass of wine in her hand, and leaned back on her sofa. Her head had been killing her all day and it had only gotten worse after she unofficially got the news that Lori was pregnant. That harpy was probably having Rick's child. His first child. The child her biological clock had started ticking like a drum for ever since she saw how good he was with Andre.

She'd offered to go with him to the hospital, but he'd refused; claiming he didn't want to drag her any deeper into this than he had to. Because of that, she hadn't even spoken to Rick in the 24 hours since that phone call burst the love bubble they'd been living in. Now, she was drinking on a weeknight, while staring at her phone and trying to will it to ring, buzz, ping...something.

The only reason she knew that Lori was actually pregnant was because of Glenn. He'd returned to their office after lunch with Maggie, acting very weird and it hadn't taken her long to pry the details out of him. He didn't know much; just that Lori was really pregnant and she hadn't miscarried. Deep down, she'd already known that, but hearing it was like a punch in the gut.

According to Maggie, Rick had been behind closed doors with their father for most of the day. She could assume they were trying to look at the legal side of the situation, but she couldn't be sure. She just wanted to talk to him so she could stop wondering. Just hearing his voice would be enough for her to know how things stood with them.

The more she thought about the whole situation, the more pissed off she became. Her anger was at a simmer, but ready to boil over at any moment. The problem was, she didn't know where to direct that anger. Was she mad at Lori for saving that pregnancy revelation? She had to have known about it at the cookout. There was no reason for her to save it unless she was planning on orchestrating the whole miscarriage story for dramatic effect and to manipulate Rick into feeling guilty about the way things ended with them.

If that was what Lori was up to, she deserved every bit of the anger Michonne was fighting against. If it were true, somewhere in a posh, private hospital room in Atlanta, Lori was probably gloating while Rick struggled to figure things out. If this was all part of some sick, master plan of hers, she would officially be one of the worst people Michonne had ever met.

When she wasn't busy hating Lori, her anger would shift to Rick. It barely made sense to her, but she found reasons to be mad at him too. He should've been more careful at the end of his relationship with Lori; especially if he was flirting with the idea of not being with her. In fact, he should've left her long before he did. He had to have known she was certifiable long before he had enough. Plus, he should've never been with her in the first place. She was an awful person and who was he if he put up with it for that long?

Her anger toward Rick was irrational, but at least she wasn't directing all of that anger toward herself if she was mad at him. In the grand scheme of things, that's who she was most angry at. "You should've known better" kept cycling through her head on repeat, followed by "why did you let yourself get in so deep". She was mad at herself for not being cautious, for falling in love with him too fast, and for actually allowing herself to imagine a future with him. She should've known better, and now it was all going to come crumbling down around her. She was going to lose him and she didn't know how she'd ever recover from that.

Those thoughts would swing her back around to being mad at Rick, for being the type of man who would want to do right by his child no matter what it cost him. That never lasted too long though, because how could she be mad at him for one of the very reasons she fell in love with him? He was a good man, and she adored and respected that about him; knowing that it would probably be those things that ended up breaking her heart. She was getting way ahead of herself, but that was a side effect of her tendency to overthink things.

Her doorbell rang and startled her out of her endless spiral of negative thoughts. She made her way to the door, hoping it was the double pepperoni, extra cheese, extra sauce pizza she'd ordered. She hadn't ordered that long ago, but maybe they'd sensed her impending breakdown on the phone and rushed her order.

When she flung open the door, she wasn't prepared for Rick to be standing on her doorstep in a rumpled suit and a head full of unruly curls. He was still unshaven, and worry had etched what she hoped wasn't a permanent crease between his eyebrows. His normally electric eyes were dim; like someone had turned off the light inside of him.

"Hey," he greeted; his exhaustion evident in the one word.

Seeing him like that, overpowered all of her anxieties and propelled her onto the porch, where she didn't even think before pulling him into her arms. It took a minute, but his arms eventually slipped around her waist and he squeezed her tight against him.

They stayed like that for a minute; clinging to each other like they were each other's only tether to the world. When it ended, she held his hand and led him into her home where she continued to hold on to him even after they sat on her couch.

"Are you ok?" She asked, once they were seated.

"It's been…a day," he sighed. "I'm sorry for not calling. I just left a meeting with my dad and I…I needed to see you."

She shook her head and offered him a weak smile.

"It's fine. I'm just glad you're here now."

There was a long pause, as she waited for him to say whatever he'd come to say. Anxiety was making her teeth chatter, and she was just about to nudge him a little bit to get the ball rolling, when he cleared his throat.

"So…Lori is pregnant. It was a false miscarriage, and the baby is fine. Shane was right; she's about two months along," he whispered, his free hand moving up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

There it was. Somehow, hearing the words she'd been waiting for all day, wasn't the catharsis she'd hoped it would be. If anything, she felt worse; like the guillotine dangling over their relationship had dropped a little lower. Maybe it was because in her heart she'd hoped Maggie was wrong, but instead, it was all true. She fought against the idea that it was just a precursor to everything else she'd conjured up in her head being true as well.

"Why…why didn't she just say something when she crashed the cookout? Seems like that would've only added to the drama of the whole thing."

"She claims she's been under so much stress lately because of the breakup, she didn't notice the signs until the other day when she started having issues."

It sounded like bullshit, but there was no way to prove that, so she kept her opinion to herself.

Instead, she asked, "What are you going to do?"

He sighed, "I've already started getting some papers drawn up to handle legitimacy, custody, and child support…all contingent on a paternity test which she refuses to have done. My dad is talking to some judges he knows in family court to see what my options are, but no judge is going to order a woman with an already risky pregnancy to have an amniocentesis and the prenatal blood tests aren't accepted as valid in Georgia yet."

There was a lot of legal jargon in that sentence, but it all boiled down to the fact that Lori was going to make his life a living hell for the next seven months.

"So…you won't know if it's yours until after the baby is born."

He nodded. "If she wants my name on the birth certificate, yeah."

She didn't know what to do with the information he was dishing out. She was having a hard time processing what all of it meant for them and their relationship.

"How are your parents taking the news?" She asked; dragging out their conversation so she wouldn't have to focus on the hard stuff just yet.

He offered a weak smile; like he was grateful for the reprieve and answered, "Dad immediately went into legal mode, and I've never seen a woman less enthused about the possibility of being a grandmother than my mom. The first words out of her mouth were in French, which means she was really mad. _Putain de bordel de merde_!"

She couldn't hold back the smile that burst across her face at the sound of Rick speaking French. It seemed to come naturally to him; not at all like someone who had only learned a foreign language in classrooms. It was something she wished she'd learned about him under different circumstances.

Still awestruck by him, she asked, "What does that mean?"

"It doesn't translate literally, but it means fucking whore of shit," he grinned, as a pale blush colored his cheeks.

She giggled, "Oh, wow! Your mother doesn't seen like the type to curse like that!"

"She only does it in French," he clarified.

She nodded, "Well…you can't blame her. It is unexpected."

His only response to that was a short nod and she sensed that he was working himself up to something and he was nearly there. He scratched at the scruff of his face that was well on its way to becoming a full blown beard and inhaled deeply before speaking.

"I'm sorry for not reaching out to you right away. I needed some time to sit with it, and think about my options."

"I get it. It's a lot to process. Your whole life has changed in just a few hours," she agreed.

He squeezed her hand back for just a moment, before letting go and rubbing his palms over his jeans. Then, he stood and moved about as far away from her as he could get in her tiny living room. Her stomach roiled, and she folded her shaking hands in her lap; waiting for him to say the words she'd dreaded since the moment she realized Lori was actually pregnant.

She already had her mother's inevitable "I told you so" running through her head on repeat, and she wasn't ready to overdose on more words she didn't want to hear. The nerve-wracking silence, as she waited for him to deliver the blow, was almost enough for her to bite the bullet and say it for him. She was about to do just that when he finally spoke.

"Michonne…I don't know how to say this," he began, but she couldn't take it any more. She needed it to be over with so she could go have her breakdown and then start the impossible task of getting over him.

"You don't have to say it," she interrupted, "If the baby is yours, you need to do the right thing by them. I…I understand." She hated the way her voice cracked on the last word and she hated the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks even more.

His face fell even lower than it already was and the torment in his eyes was impossible to ignore. He took a few steps toward her, but stopped like he was second-guessing himself, and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

He said, "That's not...if the baby is mine, I'm going to be there for my kid; but Lori is still Lori. Beyond co-parenting, I can't...I won't get involved with her again. The baby is the only person I have to do right by...and you."

A little bit of hope sparked deep inside of her at his words. Maybe he wasn't there to end things with her; but he still carried himself like he was about to do something he really didn't want to do.

"What do you mean?"

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"I…this…is a whole lot more baggage than you were expecting when we got together. None of it is fair to you. So," he paused to inhale a deep breath before continuing. "..so, if this is too much for you, I get it. I love you and I don't want to lose you…God knows I don't…but I'd understand if you needed to take a break." Every word sounded like it caused him physical pain to say; and when he finally looked up at her, she saw the fear lurking in his pale, blue eyes. He was giving her an out, even if it killed him to do it.

After regaining his composure, he continued in a voice not much higher than a whisper, "And if the break turned out to be permanent, I...I'd...hate it but I'd understand that too."

She realized that his decision to let her walk away was the real reason he hadn't been in touch. On top of everything else going on, he'd spent the last day preparing to do something he didn't want to do, and it explained why he'd looked like a kicked puppy when she'd found him on her doorstep. He was already been beaten down, and he was there to get what he believed would be the final blow.

He was right, though. It was a lot. His harpy of an ex-girlfriend was, more than likely, having his child. Lori would never be completely absent from his life. No one would blame her for running based on who his child's mother was alone, but this was the culmination of all her fears about getting in so deep with him in the first place.

The irritatingly loud and overthinking part of her, urged her to take him up on his offer, and make a clean break. The whole thing was way too messy, and she really should get out before it was too late; before he realized that babies changed things, and before his absence from her life would leave her irrevocably broken. It had already happened one time too many, and for once, she needed to be smarter and look out for herself.

She looked up to find him standing in the same spot; waiting for her ruling; his gaze tuned to the floor. She knew what she needed to do, even though it was the last thing in the world that she wanted to do.

"Maybe…maybe we should take some time," she stuttered; the words feeling like broken glass against her tongue.

He inhaled sharply and his whole body tensed; like it was taking every muscle in his body to keep himself together long enough to get out of there. His head bobbed in a few short nods as he shuffled toward the door.

There was another thought lurking in the back of her mind that had been drowned out by the dominating voice of uncertainty and insecurity, for most of the day. It refused to be silenced any longer; growing from a needling whisper into a steady roar.

Rick wasn't like her father; despite her mother's insistence that most men were. He wasn't like Spencer; using her to keep him company only until someone who better met his standards came along. He loved her; and she felt that even in the marrow of her bones.

He was like her. His insecurities had driven him to offer her an out, just like her insecurities had pressured her to accept it. While she worried that she would eventually not be enough for him compared to the possibility of a ready made family, he worried that all of that would make him too much for her.

Time seemed to slow as the gravity of what she was allowing to happen, settled over her. It was just a "break", but the reality was that if she let him walk out of that door, it was going to be the end of them. She knew that; and from the way his eyes refused to meet hers, she could tell that he knew it too. The other thing she was painfully aware of was that if she let him walk out that door, it would be the biggest mistake of her life.

Her eyes filled with tears as she slipped between him and the door, and covered his trembling hands with her own.

"But…" She began, but then she paused; her ability to think overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions rushing through her head and heart. Curious blue eyes, filled with trepidation found hers; giving her the motivation to keep talking. "I love you; and I'm done taking breaks."

His eyes widened; and a few tears escaped down his cheeks.

"Yeah?"

Her hands left his, and traveled up to his face to wipe those tears away. She smiled when she felt his strong hands come to rest at her waist.

She nodded, and said, "We can figure this out together."

A second later, she was crushed against his chest with his face buried in the side of her neck; swooning as he mumbled "I love you" over and over again against her skin. Her hands found their way into his curls, and she wove the silky strands around her fingers as she whispered those same words back to him. She felt the tension melting away from him the longer they stood there.

A loud knock on the door interrupted their embrace.

"Expecting someone?" He asked.

"I ordered a pizza. Wanna share?"

"Sure, but first…" He lowered his lips to hers and stole her breath with a kiss that burned through her every cell. His lips were masterful in the way they caressed hers; showing her how much he worshipped her as he edged the kiss deeper by nibbling at her bottom lip until she was became a bundle of nerves that he was in complete control of.

She parted her lips and he took full advantage; letting her feel everything he was feeling. Love, hope, desperation, relief; it was all there as he held her against his warm body and laid claim to her with his torturously slow and deliberate kiss.

The pizza delivery guy knocked again, and forced her to slide her hands down his chest and break their connection. Their foreheads rested against each other as each of them struggled to catch their breath.

"I have to get that," she whispered, "If I don't, they'll blacklist me and Jack's has the best pizza in Atlanta."

He smiled and brushed the tip of his nose against hers before releasing her.

"We've been over this. Fellini's has the best pizza in Atlanta."

Having no doubt that one bite of pizza from Jack's would change his mind forever, she rolled her eyes and yet another incorrect food opinion from her man, and shouted to let the delivery guy know she was coming.

She turned to go to the door, but was stopped by Rick's hand on her wrist. He was looking at her with his eyes filled with so much love that it made her heart seize in her chest.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"Everything," he replied, before turning toward her kitchen. "Are there any of the Coronas from the other night left?"

It was right then that she knew everything was going to be alright; no matter what the next seven months threw at them. As long as they were together, they could make it through anything.


	16. Chapter 16 - You Say it's Your Birthday

**Chapter 16 - You Say it's Your Birthday**

Rick laughed as Shane followed him into his office, still complaining about the meeting they'd just walked out of.

"I swear to god, he has got to be the most long winded son of a bitch I've ever met!"

He wholeheartedly agreed with Shane's assessment, but the boss had a reputation for destroying the careers of associates who dared speak ill of him. The man seemed to have some kind of sensors that alerted him whenever people talked shit about him.

"Careful. The boss has eyes and ears everywhere."

Shane exhaled a frustrated breath.

"Fuck him. This reminds me, have you given any thought to that proposal I gave you?"

He'd been waiting for Shane to bring that up again. A few months earlier, before the craziness in the form of Lori had invaded his life, Shane had mentioned starting his own firm. Originally, he'd though it was just Shane talking, but then he'd found a business plan on his desk and he realized that he was actually serious.

He followed Shane into his office and sat in the guest chair facing the deck as Shane slipped behind it.

"I haven't; I'm sorry. There's just...a lot going on right now."

He'd meant to give the proposal a thorough read already. If everything else in his life wasn't in such upheaval, he'd probably have already agreed to go in with Shane on Grimes & Walsh. He grinned to himself at that thought, knowing full well Shane would insist on Walsh & Grimes.

Shane nodded and leaned forward resting his elbows on his desk.

"I know, but I'm going to need an answer soon. There's no one else I want to do this with, but…"

He knew what his friend was trying to say and he understood. Shane was going to do this with or without him, even if he really wanted it to be with.

"I hear you man. I'll let you know soon," he promised.

Shane accepted that with a nod and Rick rose from the chair to go back to his own office, but stopped halfway to the door.

"Hey, thanks again for giving up your seats tonight. I owe you one."

Shane frowned and turned to look at his computer screen.

"You're damn right you owe me and I'm going to collect," he grumbled. "I can't believe I let go of those tickets just so you can look like a hero to your girl."

"I appreciate you," Rick laughed.

It was Michonne's birthday and he'd somehow been able to convince Shane to give up his seats in the firm's luxury box at the Falcons game that night. He was sure he was going to be hearing about that for a very long time, but seeing how happy those tickets were going to make Michonne, made it worth listening to Shane bitch for years to come.

Shane grinned and asked, "Since technically I'm the one giving her the Falcons game, what are you giving Michonne for her birthday?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned against the doorframe.

"Shut up, asshole," he said. "I'm taking her down to that resort you told me about in St. Bart's for Thanksgiving weekend. Everyone is doing non-traditional things this year and I think we deserve a break."

Shane stopped typing and shot him an incredulous look.

"Really?"

He didn't get why Shane was so surprised. It was just a few days far away from everything in Atlanta. He was already picturing laying on the beach with her; maybe even teaching her how to surf while they were down there. Even though he'd never seen her in a swimsuit, he'd conjured up plenty of images of what that would like in his head, and he was excited to see the real thing.

"What? It's just a few days."

Shane lifted his hands in surrender.

"Nothing! It's just that place is all about romance. Is she coming home with a ring on her finger?"

"No," he scoffed. "It's way too soon for anything like that."

He hoped he sounded convincing because seven though he wasn't planning on proposing to her, the idea of marrying Michonne had certainly crossed his mind. But it was something else that would have to be put on hold until things settled down one way or another. A few weeks had gone by since Lori's pregnancy revelation, and they were in a good place since their talk.

They were more than in a good place, they were happy. They'd spent less than a handful of nights apart in the three weeks since; his house was quickly turning into their house. She had a drawer, space in his closet, her toiletries littered the counter in the master bathroom, and everything just fit like she was always supposed to be there. They'd slipped into a blissful domesticity so effortlessly that it was easy to forget they really hadn't been together that long.

Waking up with Michonne in his arms had quickly become his favorite way to start the day. After a shared shower and some shared kisses, she would leave him to get a pot of coffee started while he got dressed. He'd meet her at the kitchen island where a steaming hot cup of coffee made just the way he liked it was waiting for him. After a few more kisses, she would disappear upstairs to get dressed for work leaving him responsible for getting their breakfast ready. She'd set him up for success by buying frozen waffles, fresh fruit, greek yogurt, and microwave bacon and he made sure a plate was waiting for her.

She'd come downstairs wearing one of those sexy pantsuits with a pair of sky high heels with her hair piled on top of her head in a bun, and that was the image that got him through the day. They'd eat together while talking about their schedules, then he'd drop her off at her office before taking himself to work. He'd pick her up at 6, and they'd head home to a wonderful dinner, either home cooked or ordered in, followed by a few episodes of whatever Netflix show they were watching together, and most nights were capped with a passionate bout of lovemaking.

It wasn't always the same. Some mornings one of them would have to go in to work early and they'd be forced to reluctantly extract themselves from each other's arms, and it always left him feeling slightly off balance for the rest of the day.

Saturdays were spent sleeping in, exploring Atlanta, hanging out with their friends, and just enjoying each other. They'd spent a few sunsets cuddled up in the hammock, listening to James Bay, and drinking too much wine.

Then on Sunday, they'd end up at his parent's house or at one of her brother's houses for food and football. His mom absolutely loved Michonne, and she had his dad wrapped around her finger too. All it took was a Bishop family Red Velvet Cake to have him asking when he was going to bring her by the house again.

As for her family, he got along well with both of her brothers, but Noah was quickly becoming a friend. Noah had invited him to a pickup basketball game with his friends on Thursday afternoons, and he'd enjoyed himself both times he'd gone.

Michonne's mother was a completely different story. Every time he saw her, he felt the side-eye from her even when she was being mostly nice. He had his work cut out for him on that front, but he was willing to do it because he loved Michonne and he'd do anything for her.

His favorite thing about going to her brother's houses was Andre. That kid had him wrapped around his finger from that first day. Andre was so bright and funny; with a natural curiosity that made the world seem brand new to even him.

Most of all, he loved watching Michonne with him. They absolutely adored each other, and she always smiled a little bigger and brighter when he was around. Seeing her with Andre always made him think what a wonderful mother she was going to be someday.

But those happy thoughts would always remind him that his own drama with Lori and the baby was still hanging over their heads, which made it difficult to move forward. He believed Michonne when she told him it didn't matter if the baby was his or not, but he wanted her to know exactly what she was getting with him. Until he knew for sure if he was a father or not, he couldn't give her that.

He must've been lost in his thoughts for too long because when he looked up, Shane was giving him that look.

"You have always been a terrible liar. I don't know how you're a lawyer," Shane teased.

Apparently, he hadn't been convincing enough.

"What are you on about?"

"I was just yanking your chain, but you're actually thinking about proposing, ain't you?" Shane asked; pulling him out of his reverie. There was no point in denying anything, so he just sighed and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"I love Michonne, but I can't ask her to start building a life with me until this whole thing with Lori is resolved...one way or the other."

Shane nodded, but then fixed him with a pointed look.

"I get it, but don't let Lori steal any more of your life," he said. "Have fun tonight. Tell Michonne happy birthday for me."

Surprised to be let off the hook so easily, he just nodded.

"Will do."

"I hope she enjoys my gift!"

He groaned and let that last jab go. His thoughts were all over the place, as he made his way to his office, but there was one thing he was sure of. He was going to make sure Michonne had the best birthday ever.

* * *

"Happy Birthday to youuuu!"

Michonne clapped along happily as Sasha and Glenn finished serenading her. It was a warm Monday in October, and they were sitting on the deck of their favorite Mexican restaurant in the city. It was tradition for the three of them to have lunch together on their birthdays ever since she'd moved back to Atlanta after college. They never invited any of their significant others; that lunch was always just about the three of them and she loved it. She hoped that no matter where they were in their lives, they would always find time for days like this.

They toasted their Modelos, and dug into the carnitas tacos and tortilla chips spread out in front of them; chatting about anything and everything going on in their lives. Glenn talked endlessly about Maggie, while Sasha lovingly complained about Abe. Both of them listened as she caught them up on all of the Days of Our Lives drama going on in her life.

They pretty much already knew about Lori, the baby, and the lack of a paternity test. They didn't know that Lori was calling Rick almost everyday asking him to go with her to appointments, or texting him with ideas for names. It bothered the hell out of her, but she was trying not to let it get between them. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, she knew Rick was stressed almost to his breaking point. She didn't want to add another thing to his plate.

Besides, other than that they were insanely happy. She knew without question that he loved her and no matter what game Lori was playing, that wasn't going to change.

"…this isn't the ideal situation, but I love him. We're in this together," she finished after going through all of the dirty details.

Sasha raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her beer.

"Look at you; being all mature and shit about her man possibly having the absolute worst baby mama!"

"She is pretty terrible," Michonne agreed. "Sometimes I...nothing."

"Go on, say what's on your mind. It's just us here."

She took a deep breath; debating if she even wanted to bring up the completely neurotic thoughts that popped into her head unbidden. But these were her friends. If she couldn't tell them her worries, who could she tell?

"Sometimes I wonder what it's going to be like if we all have to co-parent together. Is she going to spend her time ruining any relationship I could have with the baby? Is she going paint me as the reason mommy and daddy aren't together?"

"Oh, definitely," Glenn replied, and they both stared at him blankly as he popped the rest of his taco into his mouth. His eyes widened and darted nervously between both of their faces.

He swallowed his food and continued, "What? She's awful and that is what an awful person would do."

Michonne slumped in her seat. Even though it wasn't what she wanted to hear, she knew Glenn was right. Lori would have that baby's first words be "home wrecking whore" if she could.

"That's what I thought too," she agreed.

Sasha shot Glenn a dirty look and grabbed Michonne's hand across the table.

"Screw her! We are not wasting any more time discussing that…person…on your birthday," Sasha declared. "However, we do need to talk about the fact that you're thinking about a future with Rick."

Michonne closed her eyes and cringed. She'd given away too much. She wasn't ready to share the fact that she and Rick were already pretty much living together, or the fact that it felt so natural that they hadn't even discussed it. She was well past just thinking of a future with Rick. She was completely on the path of exploring what that future with Rick would look like, and so far, she liked what she saw.

Her cheeks warmed and she smiled to herself.

"You'll get nothing out of me on that. Right now, I just want another beer," she said as she signaled the waiter.

Sasha was about to ask her another question about her and Rick when Glenn interrupted.

"So...you celebrated with your family yesterday, right? How was that?" He asked.

She could've kissed him for redirecting the conversation. That's why she and Glenn were best friends. They'd always understood each other, and they always knew when the other was in need of an assist.

"Really good," she admitted. "Luke grilled out, Noah gave me gift cards like always, my mom made her coconut cake, and Andre made me a book full of his artwork."

Sasha placed a hand over her heart and smiled.

"That's so sweet!"

Michonne agreed with that. Andre owned her heart and there was very little she wouldn't do for him.

"He's a sweetheart. I'm keeping him next weekend while Luke and Asia go on trip for their anniversary. He's so excited."

Excited wasn't the word. He'd already told her his whole agenda for their two days together and it included eating pizza, going to the aquarium and then the zoo, playing basketball, going out for ice cream, and Legoland if they had time left over. She tried explain to him that they really only had one full day together, but he wasn't hearing it.

Rick had laughed at her; until she reminded him that if he wanted to see her next weekend, he too would be embarking on that adventure with them. That had sobered him up real quick and he'd joined her in trying to whittle Andre's activity list down a bit.

"Sounds like you had fun," Glenn said. "We missed you at the Grimes house for Sunday dinner. When Celine found out it was your birthday, she was upset she wouldn't get to see you."

Rick's mom was one of the sweetest people she'd ever met and she'd welcomed her with open arms since that first day. That morning, Celine had been one of the first people to call her to wish her a happy birthday.

"I told Rick he could go to his parent's while I went over to Luke's, but he wouldn't hear it. He wanted to celebrate my birthday with my family so he spent most of the day playing basketball with Noah and Andre."

She smiled at the memory of Rick laughing with her brother and lifting Andre up to dunk in the hoop in the driveway. It had really been a great day. Rick and her brothers were bonding, and Andre was glad to have another big kid to play with.

"Is your mom finally coming around?" Glenn asked.

That was the one area where things were better, but not necessarily great. While her mother wasn't being as openly hostile as she had been, she wasn't exactly being warm. The biggest victory was that she hadn't mentioned her friend Olivia's son, the doctor, in a while. That had to mean she was coming around to Rick.

"It's slow, but we're getting there. I haven't told her about the baby. That wouldn't help this situation at all," she explained.

Sasha and Glenn nodded and clinked their beer bottles together.

"Yeah, there's no way in hell she wouldn't have something to say about that," he said.

If that wasn't the understatement of the century, she didn't know what was. Telling her mom about Lori and the baby would be like handing her a loaded gun to shoot holes in she and Rick's relationship. She didn't have the time or the inclination to deal with that until she absolutely had to.

"So, what are you two doing for your birthday? He already filled the office with flowers for you, what's next?"

She bit her lip to hide her smile as she thought about the dozens of Stargazer lilies Rick sent to her office that morning. There had to be at least a hundred blooms and they came in every color of the rainbow. The card had simply read:

 _Happy Birthday Baby_

 _I love you - Rick_

She'd texted him after the delivery.

 **Michonne - I love you too. The flowers are lovely! Thank you.**

 **Rick - You're welcome. Enjoy lunch with your friends and I'll pick you up at 6.**

 **Michonne - Any hints on where you're taking me?**

 **Rick - If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise.**

He'd gone off to a meeting after that, but a few minutes later a delivery of coffee and Bacon Caramel doughnuts from Revolution arrived for both her and Glenn. He was going all out and she almost felt bad for his big surprise not really being a surprise.

"Officially, I don't know," she replied; but then she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Buuuut, I might've overheard him coercing Shane to give up his seats in their firm's suite at the Falcons game tonight."

Both Sasha and Glenn rolled their eyes and took a sip of their beers.

"Jesus! You two are perfect for each other! Only you would want to have birthday date night at a football game," Sasha said.

"Yeah, Maggie would kill me if I told her we were going to any sporting event on a date," Glenn added.

Michonne shrugged and lifted the bottle to her lips.

"What can I say? My man knows what I like."

"It's disgusting how cute y'all are. Not quite as disgusting as this one and Maggie, though," Sasha teased; tipping her bottle toward Glenn.

His eyes widened and he pointed his bottle right back at her.

He cracked, "Like you and Yukon Cornelius aren't adorable too."

Michonne couldn't catch the laugh before it erupted out of her. She high-fived Glenn, and continued laughing so hard that she honestly worried about shooting beer out of her nose.

"Y'all are some assholes," she said; glaring at them, and it only made them laugh harder.

"Aw, come on! You know we love the ginger giant," said Michonne and that ignited another round of laughter that even Sasha had to join in on.

"So wrong! Both of you!"

"You're laughing too!"

With a shrug, Sasha answered, "Because that's what Abe calls his di…"

Michonne and Glenn yelled in unison, "OH GOD STOP!"

Sasha folded her arms over her chest and raised a victorious eyebrow at them.

"That's what you two get! Y'all deserve that image in your heads for the rest of the day!"

"Eww! On that note, I'm out," Glenn said, signaling the waiter for the check. "I need to go bleach my brain."

A few minutes later the waiter appeared at the table.

"Your check has already been taken care of," he said with a smile.

"By whom?" Sasha asked.

The waiter turned his attention to Michonne and answered, "Mr. Grimes told us to tell you Happy Birthday, Ms. Bishop, and to thank your friends for getting you out of the office," before walking away.

Sasha rolled her eyes and shoved her wallet back into her purse. "Lord. That man is all in love with you and if it mean me and Glenn get to reap the benefits too, you better stay with him!"

Glenn finished his beer and rose from his seat, prompting the two of them to follow his lead.

"I'm always glad to eat free, but I'm more glad he's good to you. And I'm even more glad you're happy. You deserve it," he said before eyeing Sasha. "That's what she meant to say."

Sasha groaned and pulled him into a loose headlock that sent the three of them into another fit of laughter.

"She knows what I meant! You're not the only one who speaks Sasha."

The thought that they may have had one too many Modelos for the middle of the day, briefly passed through Michonne's mind, but none of them were going back to work, none of them were driving, and it was her birthday. That made the little buzz she had going more than appropriate. It was necessary!

Sasha left one arm draped over Glenn's neck and used the other one to pull Michonne in to join their impromptu group hug.

In that moment, she was struck by how lucky she was to have Glenn and Sasha in her life and she was so grateful for them. Now, she had Rick too and she felt more blessed that she'd ever imagined.

She blurted out, "I love you guys!"

"Aww, we love you too, Chonne," said Sasha; tightening her hold on both of them.

"Happy birthday, Michonne," Glenn added. "I hope it's your best one yet."

She just smiled and squeezed her friends tighter. Between spending the day with her family the day before, time with her best friends today, and Rick's over the top gestures, it was certainly shaping up to be.

* * *

Later that day, after a nap to sleep off her buzz, she opened her door to find Rick standing on her doorstep. He was in jeans and a Falcons shirt, with a matching cap hiding his dark curls. He had a wide smile on his face and his azure gaze gleamed in the fading sunlight.

She grinned back; not wanting to ruin his surprise but his choice of apparel wasn't doing much to protect his secret. She bit back her amusement and decided to play along.

"You didn't tell me this was a casual date. I was just about to go change," she said; looking down at the dress she'd slipped into and feigning annoyance.

His smile went wider, and he shrugged before leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek.

"The Falcons are playing tonight, right? I figured you'd want to go somewhere that had the game on even if it is your birthday."

She narrowed her eyes and quirked her brow.

"You think you know me so well," she teased, looking over her shoulder as she headed back to her bedroom.

He laughed and swatted her backside.

"I do know you so well. Now go change. We don't want to miss kick off."

Giggling, she ran to put on the jeans and Falcons shirt she'd already laid out; and after pulling her locs into a ponytail, she was good to go.

He was looking at something on his phone when she emerged from the bedroom, but like he was attuned to her presence, he looked up as soon as she entered the room. She smirked as his eyes traced her up and down before he gave her a nod of approval.

"You're gonna be the best looking woman at the bar," he said. "Our Uber is here. Are you ready?"

She nodded, and they headed out of the house to the car waiting for them at the curb. He draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her in close to his side to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"So where are you taking me? Hopefully, someplace with screens at every possible viewing angle."

"That much I can guarantee," he replied; holding the car door open for her. She climbed in, and slid across the backseat so he could join her.

"You're really not going to tell me where you're taking me?" She coaxed; turning up the heat by dragging a finger along the inner seam on his jeans.

He gave her a wicked look.

"Nope. You're just going to have to wait and see."

"Fine," she mumbled, and she turned to look out the window to the sound of his laughter. Her pouting was just an act to get him to crack. It didn't work because he started laughing almost immediately.

"You're the type who likes to open a present on Christmas Eve, aren't you?"

She twisted her lips to hide her smile.

"And you're the type who enjoys keeping secrets," she countered.

He chuckled again at her playful accusation, and brought her hand to his lips.

"Only good secrets," he admitted. "We're almost there and I promise, you'll love it."

"I know I will. I'd love anywhere we end up as long as I'm with you."

She settled into his side and let him keep his secret until they rounded the last corner to the dome. After that, she couldn't hold in her excitement any longer.

"Are we going to the game?" She asked; sitting up straighter and turning her attention to the stadium outside their window.

"Surprise!"

She grabbed his face and kissed him like she had no idea what he'd been up to that whole time.

She'd never been to a Monday Night Football game before and the spectacle of it all was a little overwhelming. She was like a kid on Christmas; her eyes wide as Rick led her through the stadium and up toward the luxury suite.

They'd just reached the last set of escalators when a voice echoed through the hallway.

"Rick Grimes? Is that you?"

They both turned toward to deep voice with a slow drawl, and she saw a tall man with dark, slicked back hair and wearing a suit walking toward them. The man must've recognized the look of confusion on both their faces, because he smiled wide and kept talking.

"It's me, John Negan; from college," he explained; and that seemed to be enough to jar Rick's memory. He smiled congenially, and reached out to shake the other man's hand.

"Yeah, we had a few classes together. How's it going?"

Negan kept on grinning as he shook Rick's hand.

"I'm good; real good. I don't think I've seen you since graduation. How the hell are you?"

Michonne listened absently as the two men made small talk; she was far more interested in taking everything and getting to their seats. On one of her sweeps around the area they were in, she caught Negan staring at her. He was looking her up and down and when he met her eye, he smiled at her like a hungry wolf looking at its' dinner.

She frowned and tightened her hand around Rick's. He must've heard her unspoken request, because he turned to continue toward the escalator.

"We should probably get going. The game is going to start soon," he said.

Negan nodded, "Of course, but you must introduce me to your beautiful lady first."

There was a pause, almost like Rick was debating introducing her to him. She wouldn't have minded if they'd just continued walking, because something about Negan gave her the creeps. But then Rick shook his head and chuckled.

"Where are my manners? Negan, this is my girlfriend, Michonne Bishop."

Negan extended his hand toward her, and she reluctantly took it. His hand was big and warm; too warm and she slid hers out of his grip as quickly as she could.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Bishop," he drawled.

She greeted him with a thin smile and gave him the simplest response she could.

"You too."

Negan looked back over to Rick.

"I always thought you were gonna end up with that brunette. What was her name? Laura? Anyway, Ms. Bishop here is certainly an upgrade."

It was supposed to be a compliment, but something about it rang false. It was also completely inappropriate.

Rick must've been just as uncomfortable as she was, because he started moving toward the escalators again.

"We should get to our seats," he said.

"You know, I just up and moved my wife here from DC and she doesn't know anyone yet. Maybe we can all get together for drinks sometime? Do you have a card, Rick?"

She watched as Rick fumbled through his wallet for one of his business cards and exchanged it for one of Negan's.

"I'll be in touch," Negan said. "It was good seeing you, and a pleasure to meet you Ms. Bishop. Y'all have a good time tonight."

He walked away and Rick continued their path to the escalator. She watched Negan walk away toward a petite redhead with a bright smile. He greeted her with a kiss to the temple, and for a second, Michonne reconsidered her first impression of him. That was a sweet gesture toward the woman she assumed was his wife.

Then, he looked over his shoulder and caught her looking. His lips curled up in a leering smirk, as his eyes traced her up and down. That creepy feeling was back in full force, and when he winked at her, she rolled her eyes and turned her attention forward.

As soon as the escalator carried them out of sight of Negan, she turned back to Rick.

"Who was that guy?"

Rick shrugged and shook his head.

"We were pre-law together at Emory. His father was a senator or something. I lost track of him after I left for Tulane."

That sounded about right. Thanks to Spencer, she had plenty of experience with guys from political families who thought they were entitled to anything and everything because of their breeding.

"Were y'all friends?" She asked.

Rick scoffed, "God, no. He was always kind of a dick."

She laughed too; thankful that he didn't seem eager to call Negan to set up a double date. There was something about that guy that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but there was one thing she was certain about. He was probably still a dick.

When they finally made it to the luxury suite, she couldn't believe that was how the other half watched a football game. Everything that sucked about going to the stadium had been eliminated for them. Hate uncomfortable plastic seats? Here are some plush leather ones. Tired of waiting in line for a shitty beer or the bathroom? We have a private bar with craft beers and a private bathroom just for you. Don't want typical stadium food? Here's some free gourmet finger foods for you to enjoy while you peruse the chef curated menu.

"Holy shit," she mused. "This is how you go to games?"

He wrapped his arm around her waist and laughed.

"Nah. The firm only gives us seats at one game in the suite a season. Usually, me and my dad are out there in the 200s if we're lucky."

"Thank god!"

He furrowed his brow and a hint of panic crept into his eyes.

"Why? Don't you like it?"

Immediately, she felt terrible for making him think she didn't like his gift. She leaned up and kissed his chin to calm his fears, because this was, without a doubt, the best birthday present she'd ever gotten.

"It's amazing, baby. Thank you so much for bringing me…"

"I sense a but coming…"

"It feels like if you cheer too enthusiastically in here, people might look at you some kind of way and I'm a very enthusiastic fan."

He laughed hard enough to make his face turn red.

"Yeah, I know. I've got bruises on my arm from you squeezing it during that overtime field goal attempt last week," he cracked.

She blushed and punched his arm, remembering how tight she'd gripped his forearm the week before. He grinned at her in earnest then, and tugged the brim of her cap.

"Cheer as wild as you want in here. They could use the excitement, trust me."

She looked around and had to agree based on the crowd. They all looked rich and stuffy; making her wonder why they were even there. Rick escorted her around the room, introducing her to all of them. Most of them.

Right before kickoff, Rick led her out to their seats overlooking the 50 yard line and she immediately pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures as soon as they got settled in. She couldn't wait to show her brothers the awesome view of the game she had. The eye-roll and screaming emoji's she got back from them, made her laugh out loud.

Once the game started, most of the others stayed inside talking and watching on the screens, but she and Rick sat outside and cheered just like they were down in the seats with everyone else. He was a little more enthusiastic than normal, and she loved him for it. He wasn't going to let her be the only crazy fan in the luxury suite.

They ate fancy hot dogs, drank a few craft ciders, and when she claimed to be too full for dessert, Rick offered to share his Caramel Butter Pecan Ice Cream Doughnut burger with her. Of course, she ended up eating most of it, much to his dismay, but it was good that she couldn't stop.

She teased her brothers with more selfies, made out with her very sweet boyfriend during halftime, and most importantly, watched the Falcons actually win in what had been a tough season so far.

It was a perfect date that they capped off by going back to his house and making love. Rick took his time coaxing her over the edge over and over with his gentle fingers and talented tongue. By the time he was inside of her, he'd already reduced her to little more than a quivering, boneless heap. But he was in no way done with her; and as he buried himself inside of her over and over in a luxuriously slow rhythm, all she could do was wrap her arms and legs around him and hold on.

Their bodies, slick with sweat and the evidence of their desire for each other, slid together with ease, and with every thrust she felt like she was coming apart at the seams. His hot kisses covered her face and neck, pausing only to brokenly whisper her name, how she made him feel, and how much he loved her. He drew the same words out of her as he worshipped her body with his own.

When the world splintered apart all around her again, she screamed his name and that must've been the signal he'd been waiting for. His pace became almost punishing as he chased his own release; suckling and biting the apex of her neck and shoulder as she wound her fingers in his hair. After a few minutes, he finally stiffened; groaning out her name as he came apart in her arms.

They lay there, kissing each other lazily as they both came to their senses. Eventually, he rolled off of her and turned to take care of the condom and she stared at the ceiling, continuing to drown in the warm bliss he'd left her in.

Before she knew what was happening, he'd climbed back into bed and was pulling her into his arms. She settled against his chest and he hugged her close enough that she felt his heart pounding.

"Damn, I feel like it's my birthday," he breathed.

She giggled and lightly brushed her lips against his skin.

"I was going to say that was thank you for everything you did for me today, but you did all the work."

She smiled as she felt a rumble of laughter spread through his body. She shivered as he began to brush his knuckles along her arm.

He pressed his lips against her forehead.

"No, baby. That was all you."

"Still, thank you for everything today."

"You're welcome, but that reminds me. I have one last thing for you," he said.

"You've done enough! This has already been the best birthday ever."

He stretched to reach into his nightstand drawer, pulling out an envelope and handing it to her.

"It's never enough when it comes to you," he said. "Go on. Open it."

She sat up with a sigh, and carefully did as she was told. There was a single sheet of paper inside, and after unfolding it, her eyes widening as she scanned the page. He'd booked a trip for them to spend Thanksgiving weekend at a gorgeous resort in the Caribbean. Four days of just the two of them in a secluded bungalow sounded like heaven on earth.

"My family is going away for Thanksgiving and you mentioned that yours are planning on traveling too. So, I figured we could do something just for us. We probably need it after…everything," he explained.

She nodded and swatted at the tears starting to run down her cheeks.

He sat up and wrapped his arm around her. His face was stricken; like the sight of her tears was too much for him.

"If you want to go somewhere else, I can change it. If you'd rather stay home, we can do that too…" he offered.

She shook her head and smiled through her tears.

"No. This is perfect," she sniffed. "You really spoiled me today, you know. It's a little overwhelming."

He fell back against the pillows and pulled her along with him.

"That means I did it right."

The pride and adoration in his voice made her smile even wider.

"Yeah, but you know what they say. If you set the bar too high the first time out, where can you go from there?"

"I'll figure something out," he said, kissing her forehead. "Happy Birthday, Michonne."

She climbed over him and straddled his lap, already feeling him hardening against her. The pads of his fingers ghosted along her spine and he gazed up at her with the corner of his lips quirked up in a smile.

"What?" She asked.

His smile grew wider and it was contagious. Before she knew it, they were smiling at each other like a couple of idiots.

"Nothing. I just…"

His words trailed off, but she decided to nudge him a bit.

"You just what?"

He shook his head like he didn't know how to put into words what was on his mind.

He finally settled on, "I just love you," and it hit that spot deep inside of her that always made her melt.

She placed her palms against his cheeks and leaned down so the tips of their noses brushed against each other. She felt his breath hitch as his eyes darkened to an even deeper shade of blue.

"I love you too."

"I'm guessing you're expecting another thank you," she whispered against his lips.

His hands found their way to her ass and he pulled her forward until his hardness was nestled in between her liquid center, and causing her to suck her breath in through her teeth.

He tilted his head and his gaze fell to their almost kiss.

"I expect nothing," he growled, "but I do love the way you say thank you."

* * *

 _First off, I'm sorry. It's been a really long time and I don't have an excuse for it. If anything, I got stuck and I didn't know where to go with this story. I didn't have an arc. I think I do now, so it shouldn't be so long between updates. I literally lost the plot and it's taken me a bit to find it again. Thank you for supporting this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's the calm before the storm._


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